Get Back
by oldincisions
Summary: Shane Gray broke Mitchie Torres' heart, and old feelings arise when they meet years later. Will they reconnect, or will she find love with someone new? Mitchie/Shane, Mitchie/? please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a Camp Rock story, so I hope you all enjoy it! The Joe/OFC story I was working on (I Am What I Am) was deleted as most Jonas Brothers stories are, so that one is going to be on hold until I figure out what to do about it. In the meantime I'll be working on this one, so please let me know what you think! A little background: I'm not sure how old any of the characters were supposed to be in the movie, so I'm just assuming that it took place after Mitchie's sophomore year of high school and that Shane is a couple years older than her. First chapter is a little short but I just wanted to get something out there; it's pretty much just the prequel. Please review! Thanks!_

Chapter One

Mitchie Torres started her junior year of high school with a swagger in her step. The gossip about her summer with Shane Gray had followed her home from Camp Rock, and she was suddenly the envy of teenage girls everywhere.

"Is he cuter in person?"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Can you hook me up with Nate or Jason?" Mitchie did all she could to avoid the numerous questions thrown at her by the seemingly endless throng of Connect Three fans she encountered in the hallways. Over the summer she had learned enough to spot when people were being fake; she knew these girls were only giving her the time of day because they wanted a rock star boyfriend of their own.

"I'm not a gossip magazine, you guys!" Mitchie joked as she dodged the inquiries, but the truth was she didn't know a whole lot about Shane. The girls rolled their eyes and left Mitchie standing alone at her locker, determined to continue their conversation with or without her cooperation. She let out a loud sigh, thankful for a chance to catch her breath. However, her peace and quiet only lasted for a brief moment.

"Mitchie Torres! If you weren't the talk of the entire school I would have no idea whether or not you survived the summer!" Mitchie turned around to face the voice speaking to her, suddenly hit by a wave of guilt.

"Hey, Sierra, how have you been?" Just three months ago Sierra had been Mitchie's lone friend, her only solace in the harsh reality of high school. Oh, how things had changed in that short span of time: the two hadn't spoken to each other since Mitchie had left for camp, and she wasn't sure where their friendship stood.

"Well, I just caught up on my reading all summer, same as always, but who cares about me! You went to Camp Rock and fell in love with Shane Gray, Mitchie! I can't believe you didn't even write me once, but I'll forgive you if you give me all the juicy details," Sierra said, nudging Mitchie. She wasn't normally one to care about celebrity gossip, but it seemed no one could resist when it all hit so close to home.

"I-I can't." Mitchie shook her head. She felt bad for holding back around the one person she used to tell everything, but the circumstances were far different this time. All of the fame had inflated Shane's ego to the point where he was forced to attend Camp Rock, and it had taken all summer for him to quit his selfish ways; Mitchie wanted no part of the machine that had turned him into a monster.

"What do you mean you 'can't?'" Sierra asked, sounding hurt, "Since when do you keep secrets from me?"

"I'm not keeping any secrets," Mitchie sighed, "but honestly, my business isn't always yours, too." She knew she was sounding a bit harsh, but she was sick of everyone trying to drag answers out of her. It was only her first day back to her normal life, and she hadn't mentally prepared herself for all the attention.

"Wow, Mitchie. I guess I'll never know what happened to you at that camp, but it looks like it changed you for the worse."

"Sierra, don't-"

"Save it, okay? You're just too good for me now, living the celebrity life! Why don't you go talk to the Queen Bees, I bet they're more your type nowadays," Sierra sneered, motioning to the pack of well-dressed girls the two usually avoided at all costs. Mitchie watched as her now ex-best friend stormed away, not bothering to try and stop her. Maybe Sierra was right, maybe Mitchie had changed over the summer. She had made new friends, found her voice, and she had even gained her first real boyfriend. If she had to forfeit pieces of her old life for all that, so be it. She was ready to move on to the next chapter of her life, having never been satisfied with the way things went before she had attended Camp Rock.

The next few weeks of school were very different than anything Mitchie had ever faced before. She was overwhelmed by the coursework that came with being an upperclassman, and she had also stepped out of her comfort zone to join several musical extracurricular activities. She was being kept so busy by the numerous commitments that she barely had time to worry about her falling out with Sierra. Although school could be a bit lonely at times, she was in constant communication with the friends she'd mad at camp, and things seemed to be going well with Shane. He made it a point to call her whenever he had a second to himself on Connect Three's current world tour, and Mitchie would always answer, no matter where she might be when the phone rang.

"Shane! I've missed you." Mitchie cooed into her cell phone as she excused herself from after school choir practice. She received a glare from the instructor as she slipped out the door and into the hallway, but she didn't mind; she hadn't talked to Shane in four days, and she was desperate to hear his voice again.

"Hey, baby, how's school going?" Shane sounded completely exhausted as he posed the question, making Mitchie's heart sink slightly. He had told her how tiring his life could be, and she was finally beginning to see what he meant. She went ahead and shared all the details of her life the past few days and hoped he would do the same, feeling the urge to connect with him in any way possible while he was so far away.

"The shows have been going really well, and I've been sightseeing in some pretty amazing places."

"That sounds incredible, seeing the world like that! I'm so jealous; here I am, stuck in the same boring life everyday." Mitchie was dripping with envy, wishing she could join Shane in his travels.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, trust me. But hey, I have a surprise for you." Mitchie smiled as Shane spoke, assuming he would be mailing her another gift from some city she'd never have the chance to visit, "We've got a couple days off, and I'm coming to see you."

"What?! Are you sure that's what you want to do with your time off?" As excited as the news made Mitchie, she was in shock; she had already grown accustomed to the idea of being apart from Shane for several months.

"Are you trying to talk to me out of it?" Shane laughed weakly, "I'll be there in three days. I need to see you. I've got to go, but I'll email you my itinerary tonight." Mitchie felt her heart skip a beat at the thought: he needed to see her. She had never felt needed in her entire life. Her voice was caught in her throat, and it took her a moment to respond.

"Sounds good, Shane. Have a great show tonight."

"Bye, Mitchie, I'll see you soon." Mitchie waited until she heard the click on Shane's end of the line to rush back into the classroom, wondering how she was going to survive the anticipation the next three days would present her.

The weekend had finally arrived, and Shane was officially in town. Plans had been made, and Mitchie was to meet him at his hotel to avoid any unwanted attention.

"Have a good time, and tell Shane we say 'hello!'" Mrs. Torres waved her daughter off as she climbed into the car sent to deliver her to the hotel. Mitchie's parents had been enamored with Shane from the moment the two got together at the end of the Final Jam, and were very supportive of the relationship. The didn't seem to mind that he was older than her, or that he was a jet setting rock star; as far as they could tell, Camp Rock had left him with a good head on his shoulders. Mitchie was thankful for her parent's approval; she would do anything for a bit of time alone with Shane. The car only traveled a short distance before reaching its destination: the back entrance of the ritziest hotel in town. The driver quickly hopped out and rushed to pen the back car door.

"Mr. Gray is waiting for you in his room," The driver explained as he helped Mitchie to the ground, "Ill show you up." Of course, Shane was staying in the penthouse suite on the top floor; nothing but the best for the world's hottest celebrity. Mitchie knocked nervously on the door, smoothing out the front of her nicest dress as she listened to the locks click inside.

"Shane," Mitchie sighed with relief as the door swung open. She was swept into the room and enveloped by Shane's strong arms as the door shut behind her. It wasn't the kiss she had been hoping for, but after a month apart she wasn't going to be picky. The hug lingered in silence far longer than she had expected, making her curious.

"Let me take a look at you, Shane," Mitchie said as she pulled away. She looked up to study his solemn eyes, his face twisted into a serious stare, and she began to feel very worried.

"Mitchie, I need to talk to you." Mitchie's stomach turned as the words left Shane's barely-parted lips; nothing good ever followed that phrase.

"What's wrong?" Mitchie sensed the tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"I don't know how else to say this: the long distance thing just isn't working, Mitchie." Shane looked away as he confessed, obviously equally pained.

"Wait, you flew here so you could break up with me?!" Mitchie imagined this was what suffocating felt like; she was certain she could feel Shane's words crushing her, knocking the breath right out of her.

"Baby, you are so young; it isn't fair to make you waste the best part of your life waiting around for me-"

"Don't call me that," Mitchie snapped, "Just stop talking to me, okay? I thought you had changed, but boy, did you trick me!" She felt like such a fool, and she couldn't believe how stupid she had been. How had she been so naïve as to think he had really changed his ways? Once a selfish jerk, always a selfish jerk. She crashed out of the hotel room and into the hallway, determined not to give Shane the satisfaction of watching her heart break.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: Thanks for the nice responses to the first chapter, I love you all! Not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but it gives you some character back story so that's always good. The story is now taking place three and a half years after Mitchie and Shane meet at Camp Rock, to put things in perspective. Btw, I'm working on making my chapters a bit longer.. I handwrite everything and then type it up so it looks long in my notebook and then I get it up here and it all looks so short haha so we'll see how that works out for next chapter. Please send me your reviews, I always look forward to them! _

Chapter Two

The crisp air that accompanied early winter nipped at Mitchie, attacking any uncovered inch of skin it could find. She shivered but kept walking, her hands too full to adjust the scarf wrapped around her neck. She made this trek from one building to another everyday, but the weather was usually a bit nicer to her. She began to hum to herself to take her focus off of the bitter cold, failing to notice the crunch of footsteps coming up behind her.

"Slow down, Mitch, I've been trying to catch up to you for like five minutes!" The voice startled Mitchie, causing her to jump. She watched as the large stack of books in her arms start to wobble, but her friend thankfully offered a helping hand.

"God, Travis, you can't just sneak up on me like that when I'm in my own world!" Mitchie let out a nervous chuckle as she paused to readjust her belongings. Travis Anders was one of the first people Mitchie had met when she enrolled in college a year and a half ago, and he was never far from her side. She had chosen a school nearly a thousand miles away from home, and he had become the security blanket she needed in this foreign world.

"I thought you would've heard me calling your name!" Travis exclaimed, receiving a smile from Mitchie as he tucked half of her books under his arm. They continued their stroll together, passing by a cluttered bulletin board.

"Have you heard anything about this?" Travis plucked a flyer off as they passed, "'Winter Benefit for the Performing Arts Center,' sounds fancy!"

"The choir isn't performing, so I don't really know much about it. It's in a few days, right?" Mitchie didn't even bother glancing over at the piece of paper; she already had way too much on her plate, and she was glad she wasn't involved with the benefit. The school held the program every year before winter break, showcasing several musical and theatrical acts in an attempt to raise money and sponsors.

"Yep, four days! I've already got my ticket. Hey," Travis fielded an odd look from Mitchie, "it's always a fun night! Besides, the special guests are actually halfway decent for once."

"I doubt that," Mitchie scoffed. As far as she knew, the benefit's special guests were always esteemed yet outdated musicians no one of college age had ever heard in their young lives.

"Well, you can have that attitude if you want, but I still bought you a ticket. All girls love Connect Three, right?"

"What did you just say?" Mitchie could feel herself growing pale as Travis' words sunk in. she must've heard him wrong, or perhaps he was just mistaken; there was no way Connect Three could be performing, not there.

"Connect Three! You know, Shane Gray and those two other guys-"

"Nate and Jason," Mitchie explained quietly.

"Yeah, Nate and Jason! See, you know who I'm talking about. So, you're going, right?" Travis nodded eagerly, waiting the 'yes' from Michie was certain would come.

"Not a chance in hell." Mitchie picked up her pace slightly, ignoring the gasp she drew out of Travis.

"Mitchie Torres! Such a harsh response from such a sweet girl. What is your problem with- Oh my God, it all makes sense now!" Travis halted and stared at his best friend. His eyes had grown instantly wide; it had all clicked in his mind.

"What are you talking about?" Mitchie asked out of politeness, but she already knew what was about to be said.

"I don't know why I never made the connection before… wait, I don't know why you never told me! 'Mitchie' isn't a very common name; I should've realized you were Shane Gray's Camp Rock girlfriend." Travis looked pleased that he had finally uncovered Mitchie's secret.

"That's obviously not something I want to talk about," Mitchie said, tapping her foot impatiently. She had kept the events of that summer from Travis for a reason: it still hurt too much to consider.

"Come on, Mitch, you tell me everything! Don't I deserve to know what happened?" The way Travis spoke made Mitchie cringe; things were beginning to sound an awful lot like the last conversation she'd had with Sierra. The last time she was confronted in such a manner she had lost her best friend.

"Why do you even know anything about me and Shane?" Mitchie demanded an answer.

"Alright, I'll admit it: I was a gossip hound in high school. You landed Shane Gray when he was at the height of his fame; you had to have known you were all over the celebrity gossip circuit."

"That was such a long time ago, and we barely lasted two seconds; it was all just a blip on the radar," Mitchie lied.

"Oh, don't give me that! He went into hiding for two weeks after you guys broke up, and he refused to talk about it in every interview. You should just tell me the real story," Travis urged, pushing Mitchie over the edge.

"You want to know the 'real story,' Travis? Shane played me like the fool I was! He kept me around for a few months, fed me a bunch of lies, and then cut me loose once he got bored. Is that good enough for you?" Hot, angry tears rolled down Mitchie's cheeks as she locked eyes with Travis, her mouth still burning from the fiery words she had just slung at him.

"Whoa, Mitch. I had no clue, I swear. I'm sorry," Travis apologized sincerely. He rarely saw Mitchie so upset, so he knew the situation must've been something serious. He wrapped his free arm around her and she buried her face deep into his thick, wool coat.

"I guess you don't want to hear that there's a new rumor going around campus: Connect Three is already in town."

"Yeah, I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," Mitchie murmured into Travis' chest before pulling away, "Now let's go, I'm going to be late to class." She pushed the rest of her books into his arms and continued her walk, leaving him no choice but to follow.

Several hundred yards away stood Shane, his eyes focused in narrow slits as the winter wind whipped through his hair. Had he been under such conditions four years ago he would've yelled out for his personal assistant, demanded that a hairstylist be found to attend to him, but his priorities were radically different these days. He stood on the sprawling university grounds surrounded only by his two band mates and a tour guide, none of whom currently held his attention. Oh no, the only person capable of that honor was the striking brunette on the other side of the courtyard. He watched as she ran through the full spectrum of emotion in just a few minutes: she laughed, yelled, and, finally, she cried. The scene came to an end with a sweet embrace, the girl gingerly pushing a lock of hair out of her male companion's eyes before flashing him a wide smile. Shane felt a knot in the pit of his stomach as she walked away with the boy hot on her heels, certain he'd just witnessed a lovers' quarrel.

"Wait, Shane, is that Mitchie?" Nate managed to steal his band mate's focus back with one simple question.

"Yeah, it's her." Even all bundled up, Shane would always recognize Mitchie. She was now nearly out of his sight, but her image was permanently burned into his mind. She was just about the age he had been when they met, but he was confident she had a better head on her shoulders than he'd been blessed with.

"Did you know she goes here?" Jason asked curiously.

"OF course not; we haven't spoken at all since…" Shane trailed off, unsure he wanted to finish that sentence, "I need to go talk to her."

"That building is the math wing; the only class in there right now is over in an hour and a half," the tour guide explained, trying to offer his help to the group.

"Shane, I know what you're thinking, and I'm not sure it's a good idea. I mean, until five minutes ago you didn't even know you were going to see her, so maybe you should just act normal." Nate was always there to try and talk sense into his band mates, but sometimes it was just no use. Shane had that all too familiar determination in his eyes, and there was no way to stop him when he was on a mission.

"I can't just let it go." Shane shook his head.

"She's just one girl, man; she wasn't the first or the last," Nate shrugged, trying to put things in perspective for his friend.

"That's messed up, okay? Don't talk about her like that!" Shane was about to lose his temper.

"You broke up with her after like three months, she couldn't have been that special-"

"You've got to be joking me! I spent half the summer looking for her, I wrote our entire second album for her; hell, I changed my entire attitude about life for her! We've got history, and I need to find out if she feels the same." Shane had learned long ago how to control the urge to throw a fit, but it still got the best of him now and then, especially when he was passionate about something. The tension in the small circle had grown too much to handle, and it was time someone broke up the argument.

"Guys, stop. Shane is going to talk to Mitchie if he wants to, w all know that. I think it'd be nice to see her, too; I always liked her." Jason shocked the group by speaking up, becoming the final word on the matter.

"Fine, let's go get something to eat while we wait for her class to get out," Nate conceded.

An hour and a half passed, and Mitchie had officially survived her last math class before winter break. She fished her cell phone out of her purse and was disappointed to find the thick, concrete walls were blocking her reception; she had hoped to call Travis and request some help back to her dorm.

"Looks like I'm on my own this time," Mitchie said to herself glumly. She pulled on her coat, slung her bag over her shoulder, and carefully scooped up her pile of books. She rushed out the doorway, offering a quick 'thank you' to the fellow student that held open the exit. She reached the front of the building and paused for a second, trying to brace herself for the freezing temperature the afternoon carried. She burst outside and began her march home, but was soon confronted by something she hadn't though to prepare herself for.

"Mitchie?" The color could be seen draining from Mitchie's face as she was hit by the voice she had never imagined she'd hear again: it was Shane.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Have I told you guys how amazing you are?? I've received some of the nicest reviews I've ever received on this site, and it means a lot to me. The more people review, the faster I write obviously haha so keep it coming! And don't be afraid to tell me whatever you think about the chapter (likes or dislikes), suggestions for future chapters, etc; the long, novel-esque reviews are my favorite to read and make me so happy! Okay just a little note on the plot here: I know most of you are here to read about Shane/Mitchie and it'll come as promised, but as you can tell by the story so far it won't be easy. So be patient and let the story ride out, Mitchie might have to go through another person or two before she makes her way back to Shane. I hope you like it, and I won't keep rambling anymore.. Here you go!_

Chapter Three

Mitchie thought she must've been daydreaming, hallucinating- anything to avoid letting the moment be real. She had never even begun to anticipate what would happen in this situation; in fact, she had dedicated extensive time to figuring out how to avoid such circumstances at all costs. She had changed her phone number, moved out of town as soon as possible, and she had made the most painful sacrifice of her teenage life: she had given up her all-expenses paid trip to Camp Rock the summer after she had broken up with Shane. She had been willing to do anything if it came with the promise of never seeing him again, but there was no escape plan this time.

"Shane," Mitchie sighed, and it was like sweet music to his ears. Shane was reminded of the last time the two had spoken, the way she breathed his name in the same manner, as if it were the only word she knew. His voice was caught in his throat, surprising everyone; it took a very strong force to leave Shane Gray speechless. He could only stare at her, eager to get a good look at her after all those years. She was a couple inches taller, five pounds lighter, and even more beautiful than the last time they were together. As the two looked at each other with the same look of shock and wonder it was clear that Shane's words were true: they did have history.

"What are you doing here, Shane?" Mitchie asked, unable to wait any longer for Shane to speak. She knew why he was on campus, of course, but why was he waiting outside of her class?

"We-we're taking a tour of the school before the benefit." Shane wanted to kick himself; he couldn't believe he had stammered in Mitchie's presence.

"That's great, but what are you doing here, talking to me?" Mitchie hadn't intended to sound mean-it wasn't in her nature-but Shane just seemed to draw the emotion right out of her.

"I…saw you and wanted to say 'hi,'" Shane offered.

"Well, you've said it. Hi, Shane." Mitchie let out a deep breath, wishing she had an easy escape from this awkward situation.

"We all wanted to say 'hi,'" Nate interjected, trying to relieve the immense tension. Mitchie decided to humor the boys for a minute, knowing they wouldn't leave her alone until they got what they had come for.

"Well, it's definitely been a long time," Mitchie admitted, offering a friendly hand to Nate. He nodded and accepted it, giving her a quick handshake.

"Remember me, Mitchie?" Jason asked, longing for his place in the reunion.

"Oh, Jason, how could I ever forget you?" Mitchie said with a hint of a smile.

"You look great!" As straightforward and unfiltered as ever, Jason scooped Mitchie into a hug, triggering a twinge of jealousy within Shane. Mitchie giggled and wrapped her arms around the waist of her old friend, thankful someone was able to avoid letting things grow any more awkward.

"That's gotta hurt," Nate whispered to Shane as they witnessed the embrace, pointing out how much warmer Mitchie's reaction to Jason had been. Shane was easily egged on, and his band mate knew exactly how to push his buttons. He loudly cleared his throat as a reminder that the hugging pair were not alone, and they got the hint.

"It's really good to see you, Jason," Mitchie said as they pulled apart. Although parts of her summer at Camp Rock were painful to reminisce, she couldn't deny she had made some great friends. She realized that some good could come to her out of this dreaded encounter: she could regain an old relationship or two. It was no secret that she still wasn't comfortable around Shane, but that didn't mean she felt the same way about his band mates.

"Well, guys, I really need to get going," Mitchie fibbed before an idea struck her, "hey, Jason, do you have your phone on you?" She remembered back to the time she had spent with Connect Three; Jason never went anywhere without his trusty Blackberry. He nodded excitedly and pulled form his pocket the latest version of the device, offering it to her. She accepted it and in return handed him her own cell phone. She shrugged and let out a small, nervous laugh as she compared the state of hers to his, noticing that it was nowhere near as nice, but he didn't pay it any mind; Jason was never one to give much concern to material things. They quickly entered their phone numbers into each other's phone and then traded back, all the while under Shane's watchful eye.

"I'll get in touch with you later," Jason said, pointing to Mitchie with his Blackberry, "we can catch up?"

"Sounds good. Bye Nate, Shane." It was hard to say whether the extra emphasis Mitchie put on Shane's name was real or just a figment of his imagination as she began to walk away. She looked over shoulder once, giving a bright smile and a little wave just long enough for Jason to snap a photo with his phone.

"What was that all about?" Shane demanded once Mitchie had traveled out of earshot.

"A picture? You know, for when she calls me." Jason held out his phone for all to see, displaying Mitchie's number and photo in his contacts list.

"Why are you so sure she'll even want to talk to you, Jason? She as only being nice." Shane was applying his age-old tactic to the moment, trying to bring others down to the low level at which he seemed to be stuck.

"What would you even know about being nice, Shane? Maybe if you had treated Mitchie better you could be the one with her number," Jason retorted.

"Whoa, guys, let's not go there right now," Nate stepped in to mediate once again, "fighting when we should be rehearsing is a bad idea." Shane let out a huff and decided to let the matter go for now, stomping off in the direction of the car. The rest of the band shook their heads and followed after him, wondering what plan he was currently formulating.

Meanwhile, Mitchie was taking long, quick strides across campus, unaware of the battle she had sparked between the members of Connect Three. She had noticed the fire in Shane's eyes as she interacted with Jason-it was certain no one missed that-but she had paid it no attention. Her mind was reeling from everything that had just happened, the way Shane had sprung himself on her with no reason, and she was being hit with emotions she had forgotten existed. Something was telling her not to discount Jason, either; the sweet way he had spoken to her after all those years was playing a part in the strange feelings she was experiencing. She finally reached her dorm room, shoving her key in the lock in a hurried attempt to gain entry. What she needed right then was an afternoon of peace and quiet to clear her mind, but it became clear that wasn't going to be possible.

"Mitch!" The door swung open to reveal Travis sitting on Mitchie's bed, awaiting her arrival.

"What are you doing in here?" Mitchie asked as she dropped her books where she stood, too tired to put them in their proper place.

"Well, nice to see you, too! Cassie let me in, but I can leave if you want," Travis explained, referring to Mitchie's rarely-present room mate. He had a look of disappointment on his face, hurt that she didn't share his enthusiasm.

"No, no, no, stop it, Travis. It's just been a weird day. Please, don't leave."

"Alright, if you insist. Come here, sit with me and me all about it; I was wondering why you were ten minutes late." Travis patted the space between him on the bed, feeling satisfied as Mitchie flopped down beside him.

"I walked out of math, and he was outside waiting for me…Shane was standing there, in the flesh, with no warning! I can't believe he'd dare to surprise me like that." Mitchie shook her head at the thought: it was such a Shane thing to do.

"Shane Gray? I knew those rumors were true! So, what happened? What did you say?" Travis was wide-eyed, enthralled in the story.

"He said 'hi,' I said 'hi,' and that was pretty much it."

"Then what the hell were you doing the other nine minutes? Come on, Mitch, don't leave me hanging here." Before Mitchie could dignify Travis' outburst with a response her cell phone chimed, indicating she had received a text message. She flipped it open and read the screen with hungry eyes.

_Dinner sometime so we can catch up? I'm free tonight if you are. -Jason_

"You're going to ignore me to read your texts? Gimme." Travis snatched the phone from Mitchie's hands and read the message, "Jason? I don't think I know anyone named-Oh, my God, Mitch! Jason from Connect Three?" Mitchie nodded meekly.

"That is a terrible idea; you know that, right?" Travis continued, wagging a finger at Mitchie as he returned her phone.

"Why would you say that? He's an old friend," Mitchie tried to justify the text, all the while trying to figure out how to response.

"He is best friends and band mates with your ex-boyfriend; do you really want to be responsible for coming in between either of those things?" Travis waited for Mitchie to reply, but she needed to answer Jason. She clicked away on her phone's keypad and then examined the message, ensuring it sounded okay.

_Dinner tonight sounds great. Pick me up at 7?_

"It's not fair to put that kind of spin on it, Travis. This isn't the huge deal you're making it out to be, anyway. Jason deserves to talk to me, and Shane doesn't." Mitchie was getting agitated; she felt far too old to be told who she should or shouldn't associate with.

'Mitch, I'm just trying to look out for you-"

"Well, lay off a little!" Mitchie hissed, "I know the situation well enough to make my own decision about the whole thing. Besides, it's not like this is a date." It appeared she had finally gotten her point across, and Travis was ready to admit his defeat.

"Alright, alright! I know you've got it under control; you know these guys best. Just let me know if I ever need to smack a rock star or two around!" Travis drew a laugh out of Mitchie as he balled his hands into fists, punching the air as if Shane or Jason were standing in front of him. The sound of a new text message suddenly echoed through the room, and both pairs of eyes gravitated to the phone. Mitchie flipped it open and scanned the screen with surprise, all of a sudden forced to eat the words she had uttered about the get-together.

_Alright, it's a date, just let me know where I can pick you up._

There it was, just as Travis had anticipated: Jason was calling his night with Mitchie a date. She knew she should be concerned, or at the very lease nervous, but that wasn't the case; all she felt was an odd rush of excitement.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: I love you guys! Your reviews are beyond amazing, and they mean a lot to me. I managed to make this chapter significantly longer than the others, so I'll try to keep it up. Thanks for reading and please send me your reviews!_

Chapter Four

"You've got that look on your face, Mitch; what did he say?" Travis shifted left, then right, trying to catch a glimpse of the latest text message.

"I'm going to dinner with him tonight," Mitchie said nonchalantly, doing her best to mask the excitement growing within her.

"What about Shane?"

"What about Shane? Why does he factor into this at all? He had his chance, and he messed up royally. I'm going to do what I want, regardless of the way it makes him feel." Mitchie crossed her arms in defiance. She wished for once she could just do things unquestioned, but her life had proved itself to be anything but simple.

"Isn't that what Shane did to you?" Travis asked, "I don't see how that's fair." "Nothing is fair about this! You don't even know what you're talking about." Mitchie pulled her arms closer to her body, her eyes narrowed into a glare.

"So tell me, Mitch! Make me understand; I'm begging you to let me know what's going on here. This is the first time you've left me out of the loop about anything, and it's killing me." Travis laid back on the bed, pulling a protesting Mitchie down with him. She wanted to stay mad at him, use him as an outlet for all of her current frustrations, but it just wasn't possible. To be around him when life was so tough made everything seem a little bit better.

"It hurts to even think about," Mitchie confessed at last. She shifted her position, curling up beside Travis as she rested her head on his chest.

"You can tell me what happened, Mitch. Maybe it'll make you feel better." Travis sounded so sincere, so genuinely interested. He was the first person Mitchie had ever wanted to discuss the situation with, and she knew there was no better time.

"Well, I met Shane at camp, obviously. He had this attitude about him, so I actually hated him the first time I met him. I was so disappointed; I'd gone to Camp Rock a Connect Three fanatic, and within a minute of meeting him he was a total jerk," Mitchie paused to laugh, her story making her feel incredibly young, "Then, I lied about why I was really at camp, and when he found out, he hated me! But on the last night at camp, everything changed." "Okay, you are not stopping there; you were just getting to the good part!" Travis nudged Mitchie, frustrated she had stopped, even for the brief moment.

"It's my story, and I can tell it how I want," Mitchie scoffed, "but fine, I'll keep going as long as you listen! It turns out, the whole time we were at camp Shane had been looking for a girl he'd heard singing… that girl was me. You've heard the Connect Three song 'Gotta Find You,' right?" Travis nodded. Of course he'd heard it-it had become one of the band's most popular songs ever.

"That song was written for me. Shane wrote it to the tune of the song he'd heard me singing, and we performed them together for the whole camp. After the show, we had our first kiss. It was the first time I'd ever kissed anyone, and it was perfect."

"Aw, Mitch, that is so sweet!" Mitchie shot Travis a dirty look, "sorry, sorry, no more interrupting; my lips are sealed."

"Shane was my first kiss, first boyfriend, just about my first everything." Travis raised his eyebrows seductively at the idea Mitchie had just implanted in his mind, making her blush. "Hey! I said justabout, okay? That was the problem: I let him become my whole life way too quickly. He swept me off my feet and showed me this amazing world I never could've imagined. I totally rearranged my life, dropped all my friends for him, and it backfired. Four months into it he flew to my hometown to break up with me. I was completely wrecked for a long time, and I really hoped I'd never see him again."

"Did he at least give you an explanation? It sounds like you two went through a lot; I can't picture him just dropping you for no reason," Travis pondered.

"Well, that just proves you don't know Shane at all. He tried to explain himself to me, but I honestly don't remember what he said; I've blocked that day from my mind. He's just a selfish creature and I don't think he'll ever change. But do you see now why things ended up this way? I loved Shane more than I've ever loved anyone else, and he threw me out like yesterday's trash." Mitchie felt warm tears welling up her eyes; the memory of what she had with Shane never became easier to discuss.

"That's really intense," Travis said solemnly, using his thumb to catch a tear before it had the chance to roll down Mitchie's cheek, "but do you really think he feels nothing towards you? Don't get me wrong, there's no way I'm talking Shane's side after that story, but he did go out of his way to find you; that must mean something." Mitchie thought long and hard about what Travis suggested, leaving the pair in silence for several minutes. She didn't wan to admit that he was right, but he was making sense as usual. Shane had gone above and beyond what she had expected of him; she never thought he'd even bother saying 'hi' had they come face-to-face after their breakup.

"I just don't know," Mitchie finally sighed, "I'm really confused. So you know what? I'm going to go out with Jason tonight and have fun. I don't want to think about Shane anymore, not today." She sat up quickly and thumped her fist against the bedspread to illustrate her feelings on the subject.

"Do what you've got to do, Mitch. I guess I need to leave so you can get ready?" Mitchie flashed Travis a smile as he rose to his feet with a sigh.

"What would I ever do without you?" Mitchie laughed. She reached up to throw an arm around Travis' shoulder, ushering him towards the door, "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, have a good time-you deserve it." Travis waved as he as pushed into the hall, the locks clicking shut behind him. Mitchie quickly sent directions to her dorm to Jason and then rushed to her closet, overcome by the need to look her absolute best that night.

At exactly seven o'clock, Mitchie's cell phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mitchie, it's Jason." Mitchie was momentarily filled with dread, certain Jason was calling to break their plans for one reason or another.

"Hi, Jason." The disappointment was clear in Mitchie's voice.

"Are you feeling okay?" Mitchie's tone had concerned Jason, "I'm downstairs waiting for you, but dinner can wait until another night if-"

"No, no, I'll be right down!" Mitchie exclaimed before disconnecting the call. She took a quick look at herself in the mirror before she rushed out the door, making sure her nerves weren't too evident. Her trip down the hallway seemed to take hours; she felt like she couldn't get downstairs quick enough. She sped down the two flights of stairs as fast as possible without running-she didn't want to break a sweat-and was nearly to the landing when she was joined by another person.

"Oh, my God, Mitchie!" The girl exclaimed as the two collided.

"Alex, I'm so sorry! That was totally my fault!" Mitchie placed her hands on the girl's shoulders to ensure neither of them lost their balance. Alex Vaughn was barely an acquaintance of Mitchie's; they had lived in the same hall of the dormitory for all of their college educations, but that was about as far as it went.

"Don't worry about it! I was heading back upstairs to find someone to tell, and you'll do: don't freak out, but Jason from Connect Three is down in the lobby!" Alex spoke in excited yet hushed tones, and her words made Mitchie want to laugh.

"I don't think I'll freak out," Mitchie said, and she meant it; she wouldn't lose her cool, at least not in the same star-struck manner which Alex had.

"I wonder what he's doing here?" Mitchie ignored Alex's question as the girls conquered the last few steps and turned the corner to the lobby.

"There she is!" Jason explained to no one in particular as he caught sight of Mitchie. He threw his arms open, coaxing her into a hug. She took long strides towards him and thought this was something she could get used to, noticing how perfectly she seemed to fit in his arms.

"Ready to go?" Jason asked as they pulled apart, still leaving an arm wrapped around Mitchie's shoulders.

"Absolutely," Mitchie said with a grin, "I'll see you later, Alex!" She waved to Alex, unable to miss the way the girl's jaw hung open as she took in the sight of the couple.

"Do you know her?" Jason whispered in Mitchie's ear as he held the door open, "She's been staring at me for, like, five minutes!" Mitchie giggled at the image.

"Well, you are famous, Jason! Most people at this school are old enough to know to treat you like a normal person, but I bet you find a crazy fan or two wherever you go."

"I guess, but you still never really get used to all the attention," Jason said with a shrug. He pulled Mitchie closer, noticing the way she began to shiver as the cool night air hit her. "I figured we could just want to the Italian place right down the street, but I forgot how could it is around here."

"That's okay, I'm almost used to the weather. I love that restaurant, but it's not really in my college kid budget," Mitchie smiled nervously at her confession, "Anyway, I'm really glad we're hanging out tonight. I guess I was just being a pessimist, but I almost thought you'd bail on me. You know, find something better to do than wasting your time with me." Jason stopped and pulled his arm off Mitchie, moving to face her.

"Do you really think I'd do that to you? Don't be crazy, Mitchie! I get to spend my evening with the most beautiful girl in town; there's nothing I'd rather do more, and I'm definitely not just 'wasting time.' Got it?" Mitchie nodded, blushing as Jason returned his arm to its resting place around her shoulders. As he led her to the restaurant she wouldn't help but consider how much he had changed, all for the better. He was no longer the goofy one, the punch line kept around for comic relief. He was older now, as they all were, and it seemed her has morphed into the sweetest, most charming member of Connect Three. Just being around him made her feel like she was walking on air, happier than she had been in a long while.

"After you," Jason said cordially, holding the heavy wooden door open for Mitchie as they approached the restaurant. The two ducked inside where they were promptly greeted.

"Good evening, Jason, your table is all ready for you. This must be the girl I heard so much about this afternoon, Mitchie?" The maitre d' motioned to Mitchie, eliciting a nod from her. It was no surprise Jason had made friends with the employees of the restaurant; he had always been one of the nicest people Mitchie had ever met. She followed the two men to the table towards the back corner of the room, happily sitting in the chair Jason pulled out for her. The pair looked over the menu and placed their orders, barely engaging in conversation until they had their dinner in front of them.

"Mitchie, can I ask you a question?" Jason asked, twirling his fork around aimlessly in his pasta as his mind wandered.

"I think you just did!" Mitchie laughed, brushing her hand quickly over Jason's as he twisted his face into a pout, "but seriously, yeah, of course!"

"Why are you here with me and Shane?"

"Did you really bring me here to talk about Shane?" Mitchie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her hands moving to fidget with the napkin in her lap.

"Well, no, but I figured you would want someone to talk to about him; this has got to be weird for you," Jason said. He knew he was staring at Mitchie and hoped she wouldn't mind; the soft candlelight of the table was framing her face perfectly, making it impossible to look away.

"Sure, it's weird-I honestly never expected to see you guys again-but I'm glad you found me .I want nothing to do with Shane, but you're a different story." Mitchie ran her fingers through her hair nervously, aware of the way Jason was gazing at her.

"Shane can be a real jerk, you and I both know that's true. Why he let you get away, I'll never understand," Jason sighed as he shook his head, "I mean he's a lot better than he used to be, but he doesn't have a clue. I'll tell you something though, Mitchie: Shane has never, and will never, care about anything as much as he cared about you. He's still my best friend, so I feel like I have to tell you that. It's always been 'Shane Gray and his backup band,' but since he met you he hasn't cared one bit about the attention." Silence enveloped the table for a minute as Mitchie pondered all the things Jason had just said.

"Wow," Jason said with a chuckle, breaking the quiet, "you know it's a strange day when I'm the one saying things that make sense!" His words pulled at Mitchie's heartstrings, filling her with a twinge of sadness. It had apparently been drilled in Jason's, and much of the general public's, mind that he wasn't quite on the same plane of intelligence as the rest of Connect Three, and it just didn't seem fair. Mitchie could see who he really was; why was that so difficult for everyone else?

"Don't talk like that, Jason! You've always made perfect sense to me."

"Well, thank you. Your opinion means a lot to me," Jason said with a genuine smile, "So… there's one other thing I wanted to ask you about."

"What?" Mitchie wondered what else could be on Jason's mind.

"I was just wondering if you were going to the benefit we're playing on Friday? I mean, of course Shane will be there, but I will be, too; I think the good outweighs the bad!"

"My friend Travis did buy me a ticket," Mitchie laughed as she pushed her empty plate away, "I wasn't going to go, but I just might after tonight."

"Oh man, Mitchie, you have to! Please, it'd mean a lot to me! I can get you and your friend front row, the best seats in the house." Jason's enthusiasm never failed to amaze Mitchie, but he'd forgotten one thing.

"All the good seats are reserved for alumni; even a rock star like you couldn't get seats."

"Good thing Nate's dad is an alum! How do you think we got this gig in the first place?"

"Well, in that case, sure! I'd love to go."

"Awesome! I can't wait to see your gorgeous face in the crowd," Jason admitted, and Mitchie felt the familiar burn of a blush on her cheeks. She felt drunk on his kind words, and she hoped the benefit wasn't the only time he wanted to see her again.

"Should we head out? It's getting late." Jason placed enough money on the table to cover the bill and a generous tip before standing up and offering his hand to Mitchie. She took it in hers as she rose to her feet, never once letting go as they traveled out of the restaurant and down the road back to her building.

"Here we are; I got you back in once piece!" Jason joked as they stopped on the step before the front door, "I hope you had a good time tonight, because I know I did."

"It was amazing, Jason, I mean it. I haven't felt this good in a long time," Mitchie confessed, all the while admiring the freckles that danced across the bridge of Jason's nose; she thought it was a shame she'd never been close enough to notice them before.

"I'm really glad to hear that. It was nice to see you again, have I said that yet? We should do this more often." Jason was rambling out of nervousness, but Mitchie didn't seem to mind.

"Absolutely, I'd love that."

"Mitchie, can I-" Jason's question was cut short. Mitchie knew what he was going to ask, and the answer would've been a resounding 'yes!' had she chosen to speak. Instead, she crashed her soft lips into his, kissing him the way she'd been dying to all night.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, it's been a rough couple of days lol. So here's the deal: if you guys are extra nice in your reviews, I'll deliver on my "M" rating next chapter! And if I get at least 10 reviews on this chapter, I'll have the next one up by Monday morning at the latest. Please send me your reviews, they make my day! I love you all, thanks!_

Chapter Five

Mitchie floated upstairs and promptly fell into blissful sleep after she said her goodbyes with Jason. She had neglected to call Travis as she had promised, but she figured he would understand once she told him all the details of the previous night. She awoke bright and early the next morning to the sound of her phone ringing, her mother on the line.

"Hi, Mom," Mitchie breathed into the phone, trying not to wake Cassie on one of the rare occasions she actually slept in their room.

"Hi honey, how's school going?" Hearing her mother's voice was always the highlight of Mitchie's day, and it was one of the only things that made her miss home.

"It's going well. I actually just had my last class before break, so that's exciting. Oh, and Travis bought tickets to the Winter Benefit for the Performing Arts Center this Friday, so I'm looking forward to that." Mitchie chose to leave out any mention of Connect Three, well aware of the reaction it would elicit. Her mother was very familiar with Shane's misdeeds, and she surely would've had some choice words to say on the matter.

"That sounds great, honey! I've got to get to work now-I just wanted to check in real quickly-but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Alright, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, Mitchie. Your father and I both miss you terribly. We're going to send your package soon, so watch out for it." The sadness in her mother's voice was evident, and Mitchie wished she didn't have a reason to be so glum. The Torres family had never struggled for money to survive, but they just didn't have the means to fly Mitchie home for every break. The fact had been well discussed when she accepted her full-ride musical scholarship-the only way she ever would've been able to attend college-and it was a consequence she'd have to deal with.

"I'll keep an eye out for it, and remember, I'm coming back in the spring; it won't be too long before I see you again. Bye, Mom." Mitchie disconnected the call, unable to bear the sad reality anymore. She quietly slipped on the nearest pair of pants and t-shirt she could find and tiptoed out of the room. She thumped down the hallway and stairs, brushing past the front desk and out onto the sidewalk. She laughed and cursed herself as the nippy morning air reminded her she had been so absent-minded as to forget shoes, but she had gone too far to turn back around. Travis' dorm was only two buildings away, and she wanted to catch him before he went to class.

"Good morning, Mitchie; kind of early for you, isn't it?" Mitchie was greeted by the boy currently on desk duty inside Travis' dormitory.

"A little, but I've got to catch Travis before he leaves!"

"Are you sure he's even awake?" The boy snickered before waving Mitchie on. She didn't' even know his name, but she had come to be well-known by everyone working his position. The college had strict rules to keep the dorms single-gender, but no one seemed to mind when she waltzed into Travis' room at all hours of the day or night. She walked swiftly down the hall, jealous of the fact that her friend had snagged a room on the first floor, and knocked twice on the door. After a minute or two of waiting she heard the shuffle of feet in the room, moving slowly towards the door.

"Jesus, Mitchie, are you okay?" Travis said with concern as he opened the door. He grabbed Mitchie by the arm and pulled her into the room, looking even more bewildered as she began to laugh.

"I'm sorry," Mitchie sputtered between laughs, "but I can't believe you answered the door like that!" She ran a hand through Travis' wet hair and eyed the towel wrapped around his waist; he'd clearly just returned from the shower.

"Well, I didn't expect you to come knocking before eight in the morning! Do you really think you should be laughing at me? Mitchie, you don't even have shoes on!" Travis pointed to Mitchie's bare feet.

"I came to see you because I forgot to call you last night-"

"Yeah, thanks for that!" Travis interrupted with a snarl.

"-And I felt bad! I wanted to see you in person to tell you how great it was!" Mitchie flashed an innocent smile as she pleaded for forgiveness.

"Fine, fine, tell me all about it. Talk loud, thought, I need to get dressed." Travis rolled his eyes and walked back to his tiny close, shutting the door most of the way so he could change in privacy. Mitchie jumped onto the bed and sprawled out, making herself right at home.

"He took me to that Italian place, the one we went to for your birthday, and I had such a good time! We talked a lot and caught up; you know, he's a lot nicer than I remembered." Mitchie looked over at the closet and stopped talking, waiting for some sort of reaction.

"Keep going, I'm listening!" Travis' muffled escaped from behind the door as he realized why Mitchie had stopped.

"here's something you'll like: I guess Nate's father went to school here, so Jason is going to get you and me front row for the benefit!"

"Seriously? Wow, I guess being famous really does have its perks! You'll have to tell Jason 'thanks' for me." The closet door flung open as Travis accidentally kicked it, grumbling under his breath as he tried to pull his pants on in such a confined space.

"You can come out here, Travis, I won't look. Besides, I'm just getting to the best part of the night: he kissed me!" Mitchie sighed happily as she reminisced about the moment.

"What?!" Travis burst from the closet, still lacking a shirt. He hadn't reentered the room per Mitchie's permission; he was simply too shocked by the news, and needed to make sure she was speaking the truth.

"Actually, I kissed him. He as going to ask permission to kiss me, how cute is that?"

"Precious," Travis said sarcastically, "but really-oh, shit, Mitch! I'm going to be so late to class! Get up!" He pulled the nearest shirt over his head and slipped on his glasses before grabbing Mitchie's arm. He yanked her off the bed and dragged her out of the room, forcing her to match his hurried pace.

"That's all you have to say about what I just told you?" Mitchie asked once the pair reached the sidewalk, "This is major news!" She felt slightly hurt; she'd been so eager to tell Travis, but he didn't even care.

"Come on," Travis sighed. He placed a hand on either side of Mitchie's face and titled her head up so she was looking him square in the eyes.

"What?" Mitchie growled.

"Mitchie Torres, the love of my life, my best friend in the whole world, I am going to tell you this because you mean so much to me: this a bad idea. A terrible, miserable, incredibly fucked-up idea. You cannot date Jason! If I can see that, then it should be obvious to you, too. Nothing good will come from you hanging around anyone from Connect Three." Travis' eyes searched Mitchie's as he spoke, hoping he'd get through this time.

"I thought you were going to be late to class," Mitchie said bluntly as she broke away from Travis' grip.

"Mitch, don't be mad at me, okay? Just think before you do something you'll regret."

"Are you going to sit with me in the seats Jason got us at the benefit or not?" Mitchie clearly wished to change the subject, he patience growing thin.

"You know I will. Go home and put some shoes on!" Travis waved over his shoulder to Mitchie as he sprinted off in the direction of his class. She looked down at her freezing-cold feet and began to trudge back to her own building. She couldn't believe the way things were going for her: she was trying to create good in her life, and everyone seemed so set on tearing it down. For the past three years she had avoided him like the plague, but suddenly his name was falling from everyone's lips: Shane, Shane, Shane; would she ever escape him?

"Funny seeing you here." The voice startled Mitchie from her thoughts, making her jump.

"Jesus Christ, Shane! This is my town, my school; I don't find the humor in you being everywhere I am." Of course, Shane would appear just as Mitchie was thinking of him; that was her luck as of late.

"I'm just taking a walk to clear my mind before rehearsals; I've got a lot going on up there. I was wondering about one thing in particular: how does your boyfriend feel about you going on dates with Jason?" Shane shoved his hands into his coat pockets and gave Mitchie a cruel smirk, making her stomach turn.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, this tall," Shane raised his arm to illustrate height, "blonde hair, glasses; I see you two together all the time."

"Wow, Shane, are you stalking me now? I hope not, because if you were, you'd be doing a really shitty job. Travis isn't my boyfriend, and neither are you! Just back off; that ship sailed a long ago." Mitchie turned and began to walk away, wishing she had shoes on so she could run.

"Mitchie, please," Shane whispered. His tone had changed once he saw the way he was making her react, and he now almost sounded sad. Mitchie stopped despite her common sense; she was doomed to forever be at Shane's whim when he seemed so sincere.

"What now?"

"I just need to talk to you, please? I need five minutes, that's all." Mitchie looked at Shane, really looked at him, for the first time in three years, and she thought she might've caught a glimpse of the boy she'd fallen in love with so long ago. He had given up his vain ways somewhere along the line, and what Mitchie saw surprised her. He had stopped straightening his hair-it now sat in its natural, slightly curly state, his once deep tan was now a muted shade of bronze, and his face seemed to be overcome by a perpetual look of loneliness. It all left her with one question: what had happened to Shane in the years they were apart? She knew she owed him nothing, but he still had an effect on her she couldn't explain.

"All I can say is that when, and if, I'm ready to talk, I'll come to you. That'll have to be good enough." Mitchie turned and marched back towards home without another word to Shane. He watched as she walked away form him yet again, noting that they had found themselves in these positions far too many times during the years they'd known each other. He decided to just accept what she had said and get back to rehearsal; after all, she had been much warmer to the idea than he'd expected of her. It would be hard, but he knew he could be patient until she came around; he'd spent the last three years waiting for the world to bring her back into his life, so what could a few more days hurt?

Four days later Friday arrived, bringing along with it the long-anticipated benefit. Shane peeked over his microphone during afternoon sound check and smiled as he read Mitchie's name on a pace card in the first row of seats; maybe his wait would finally be coming to an end. He envisioned serenading her with a song or two during the show, pulling her aside afterwards to have their talk, and ultimately winning her back again. He spent every second until the benefit began thinking of her, wondering how it would feel to be with her again after all that time. He wished to know what she was thinking as he waited to take the stage with his band mates, curious to know if he had crossed her mind that night.

"This is going to be awkward, isn't it?" Mitchie leaned over to whisper in Travis' ear. The two sat nestled between university alumni in the first row of the auditorium, unaware of Shane's obsessing just beyond the stage. Had they known of his thoughts and plans, the answer would be obvious.

"Do you want the truth, or are you looking for me to make you feel better?" Travis countered the question, nervously adjusting his glasses. He had warned Mitchie that this was all a messy situation, but it was now too late to avoid an uncomfortable moment or two.

"I don't know, I'm just-" Mitchie was cut off by applause as the head of the Performing Arts department approached the microphone stand at center stage.

"Good evening esteemed alumni, current students, and members of the community. I hope you've enjoyed the show so far; we've had a lot of great performance, haven't we? Your patience during the short intermission was greatly appreciated; we needed to make a few preparations for the final act of the night, and I don't think they'll disappoint. Without further ado, I give you Connect Three!" The room was once again consumed by the sound of applause, this time slightly louder as the members of Connect Three filed on stage, instruments in hand.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight to support the Performing Arts Center, we really appreciate it!" Shane said into his microphone, turning on his front man charm, "My name is Shane, and these are my good friends Nate and Jason. We're Connect Three, and we're going to play you a few songs from our latest album." Mitchie let out a sigh of relief as the band played their first chords. Until that moment she had been suffering from a nagging concern that they would play the song Shane had written for her.

"He's staring at you," Travis said in Mitchie's ear, making himself heard over the music. She looked over and saw that her friend was right: Shane had her locked in his sights. He had that intense look in his eyes that she knew well, and she didn't' know what to do as his lips form each lyric as a dedication to her. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea, so she averted her gaze to the side of the stage. Jason stood in front of his own microphone, strumming away on his guitar, and Mitchie gave him a little wave to catch his attention. It worked, causing his face to instantly light up as he noticed her. Shane still stood center stage, a witness to the entire exchange. He was suddenly overcome by a wave of envy; no one ever upstaged Shane Gray, ever. He pulled his mic from its stand and strolled over to Jason, continuing to sing as he bounced across the stage. He gave a seemingly innocent smile to his friend and then surreptitiously threw an elbow into Jason's side, causing him to play one ugly, incorrect chord on his guitar.

"Oh, God," Mitchie sighed under her breath. She looked around the auditorium and realized that she as the only one in the crowd that had noticed the conflict. She turned her attention back to the stage to see Jason scowling as Shane waltzed back to his mic stand, looking pleased with himself. Mitchie rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, trying to enjoy the rest of Connect Three's set. As soon as the benefit ended she rose to her feet, determined to find out what was going on between Shane and Jason.

"Mitch, do you want to come watch a movie or something?" Travis offered, unaware of Mitchie's plan.

"I was thinking I'd go backstage and find the guys; do you mind?"

"Nope, do what you've got to do. Just remember, things might not go as smoothly as you hope," Travis sighed as he watched Mitchie walk away, but she already knew how right he could be. She noticed a few Connect Three fans lingering by the exit but she brushed past them and boldly burst into the backstage area, surprised no one even questioned her; security for the band certainly had grown lax since she dated Shane.

"Hey, look, it's Mitchie!" Nate exclaimed as he caught sight of her, "did you enjoy the benefit?" Mitchie saw all three members of Connect Three standing in a cluster, making her a bit nervous. Shane's eyes bore into her as he awaited he response, unable to stop himself from admiring her. She wore a deep purple dress that clung to every curve, her hair pulled into a sophisticated ponytail which provided a perfect view of the strand of pearls adorning her neck. She was so striking and he was as drawn to her as ever; did she really not see how badly he yearned for her, or was she just messing with him?

"Very much so; you guys were as great as I remembered!" Mitchie threw her arms around Jason and drew a blush from his already flushed face as she planted a kiss on his cheek. She'd waited days to be close to him again, and making Shane jealous was an added bonus to the moment.

"I'm glad you liked it," Jason said bashfully, "Sorry I'm all sweaty."

"Doesn't bother me!" Mitchie giggled as she squeezed tighter, hoping Shane's blood was boiling as he watched the pair. Jason seemed to sense the tension as well, and it finally got to him.

"So, um, Mitchie, do you want to go do something? We can go to my hotel so I could get changed, and then the night is ours!"

"I'd love to." Mitchie removed her arms from Jason and allowed him to take her hand in his with a smile. They said their quick goodbyes and then made their exit leaving Shane behind, his flaming jealousy at an all-time high.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Thank you so much for all your awesome reviews. As promised, here's your first 'M' rated chapter. Just a warning, I'm not very good at writing this type of thing, and I hope it won't totally disappoint you all to know that it's not between Mitchie and Shane.. That's coming, I can tell you that, but this whole story would've been for nothing if it came so quick and easy, so be patient! Please keep reviewing, I love to hear from you all!_

Chapter Six

"What does Mitchie see in him?" Shane growled as he watched his band mate walk away with his ex-girlfriend.

"He's talented, nice, funny-I mean, isn't that why we're friends with him?" Nate shrugged.

"I think you're trying to make things worse, and I really don't' want to deal with it right now," Shane said with a scowl, clearly not amused.

"If you're still so hung up over her, just talk to her. Tell her what you're feeling; I bet that'd be more productive than trying to sabotage Jason."

"I'm not stupid; don't you think I've tried that? Mitchie wants nothing to do with me." Shane hung his head as he let reality sink in. his plan for the night had fallen flat, and he was thoroughly disappointed with himself.

"So maybe it's time to let it go, Shane." Nate laughed at the thought: Shane never let anything go. "You two had your time together, and that time has passed .let her go have her fun with Jason; you and I can go check out the bar down the street, take your mind off things."

"I don't want to think of Jason 'having fun' with Mitchie." Shane grimaced as he spoke. He wished Mitchie wanted to hold his hand, laugh at his jokes. Things were wrong, so wrong; how had Jason managed to land himself the position Shane would kill for? He had barely spoken to his friend since they encountered Mitchie earlier that week, but it didn't really matter; as selfish and demanding as Shane could be, it was impossible to bring up the subject with Jason.

"Alright, wrong choice of words," Nate admitted, "but come on, I'm not going to let you mope around all night." He jingled the keys of his rental car at Shane, trying to coax his brooding friend out of the auditorium.

"Fine, let's go." Shane threw his arms up and followed Nate out of the building, resigning himself to yet another night of drinking his problems away. He'd made these nights out a routine, trying to fill himself with enough alcohol to replace the yearning for Mitchie.

On the other side of the small town Mitchie was being led across a hotel lobby by Jason, their fingers still locked tightly together.

"Two years in this town and I've never even seen the inside of this place. I guess I'd have no reason to stay in a hotel, and I'd never be able to afford this one, but still, it's so nice!" Mitchie babbled on; she had a bad habit of talking uncontrollably when she felt even the least bit nervous.

"Yeah, it's pretty comfortable," Jason agreed as they approached the elevator. He pressed the "up" button and together they waited. He rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of Mitchie's hand, creating a wave of calm inside her so strong that she barely noticed when the elevator doors finally slid open.

"Twenty-seven," Jason said as the pair stepped inside, surprising Mitchie. She had a flashback to a summer night she'd spent with Connect Three on their tour, back when she and Shane were still very much an item.

"_Hold the door!" Mitchie cried, dragging her suitcase behind her. A hand shot out from inside the elevator, holding the doors open for her._

"_I thought that was you," Jason said as Mitchie rushed inside the elevator, smiling, "so, why isn't your boyfriend carrying that up for you?" He motioned to the bag she had dropped as soon as the doors shut._

"_Oh, you know Shane, always busy doing something or other. I just can't believe my parents actually agreed to me staying here this weekend; I start school in a week! I'm so happy to be here, not even lugging this giant suitcase around could ruin that."_

"_Whatever you say," Jason shrugged. He reached over to the panel of buttons, but Mitchie slapped his hand away._

"_I'll tell you something I've never told Shane, but you have to keep it our secret," Mitchie said as Jason looked at her with confusion. _

"_Sure, my lips are sealed!" Jason placed his hand on his heart as if he were making an oath, causing Mitchie to giggle._

"_Okay, this is so juvenile, but I __love__ pressing the button in elevators! When I was younger I would cry if someone beat me to it." Mitchie let out a little chuckle as she spoke. "My parents think I grew out of it, but it's still one of my favorite things to do."_

"_Mitchie Torres, that is __the__ cutest thing I've ever heard. Your secret's safe with me, so go on, push the button!" Jason laughed, moving out of Mitchie's way._

"You remembered," Mitchie said with a grin, hitting the button for the appropriate floor.

"Of course I remembered!" Jason exclaimed, "And I never told a soul, as promised." He placed his hand over his heart just as he had on that night, and that was the final straw for Mitchie.

"I've wanted to do this for days!" As the elevator began to move slowly up towards its destination Mitchie threw her arms around Jason's neck, gently but forcefully bring her lips to his.

"I'm still all sweaty; I don't want to ruin your dress," Jason murmured against Mitchie's lips. Despite his concern, he wrapped his arms around her waist, not daring to disconnect their bodies until the elevator came to a halt.

"So, what do you have planned for me tonight?" Mitchie asked curiously as they strolled out the doors and down the hallway, Jason all the while digging for his card key.

"I was thinking maybe you could suggest something?" Jason's search ended in success as the two reached his room, "You know the town better than me!" He held the door open for Mitchie and she stepped inside, taken aback by the size and luxury of the suite.

"Well, I don't really get out much, but I'll give it some thought," Mitchie confessed.

"I'm sure we'll have fun, whatever we decide to do," Jason assured. "Do you mind if I take a shower? I'll be quick, I swear." He flashed Mitchie a smile that she couldn't resist.

"Of course, go ahead."

"Awesome, make yourself at home; I'll be out in a flash!" Jason placed a fast kiss on Mitchie's forehead before pulling a fresh set of clothes from the nearby dresser. The bathroom door shut behind him as he entered it, leaving Mitchie alone to explore the rest of the suite. She looked around for a moment, deciding a little harmless snooping couldn't hurt anything. She set her bag on the top of the dresser and then peeked inside the top drawer, amused by what she saw. Every article of clothing, down to the very last sock, was neatly folded and arranged by color. It was very un-rock star, but totally a Jason thing to do. Aside from their mutual adoration of music and Mitchie, he and Shane were as different as night and day, and maybe that's why Mitchie was so drawn to him. He wasn't messy and erratic like her ex, and she was thankful for that. She slid the drawer quietly shut just as the dresser began to shake, vibrating as her silenced cell phone received a text message.

"'Someone told me Connect Three is at the bar on third street, are you there with them?'" Mitchie read the text from Travis aloud, feeling disgusted. He knew she wasn't old enough to go to a bar, and she wanted nothing to do with the gossip going around. She shoved her phone back inside her purse without bothering to reply, and then turned her attention to the strand of pearls wrapped around her neck. They had felt appropriate for the benefit, but they suddenly made her feel old and stuffy. She reached back and fumbled with the clasp, remembering the way Shane's eyes had lingered on them just a moment too long backstage; the thought made her want them gone as soon as possible, and she practically slammed them down onto the dresser. Once she was free of the necklace she wandered over to the large mirror on the adjacent wall, interested in seeing if their absence had improved her whatsoever. She began to smooth the front of her dress and adjusted her ponytail, too consumed by her own reflection to notice Jason had come up behind her.

"What's going on over here, admiring how great you look tonight?"

"I-um, no, just checking my hair!" Mitchie let out a husky, nervous laugh; she had never learned how to respond when given such a compliment.

"I see," Jason chuckled along, "so, did any good ideas come to you while I was gone?"

"Hm, not really, but let me see what's around here." Mitchie reached over to the window and pushed the curtain aside to survey the hotel's surroundings. What she saw was a cold shift in the weather: large, fluffy snowflakes falling swiftly from the sky, sticking in piles all over the ground.

"Wow, looks chilly out there!" Jason faked a shiver and wrapped his arms around Mitchie, locking his fingers together in front of her.

"Maybe we should just stay inside?" Mitchie suggested. She inhaled deeply, taking in Jason's clean scent of soap and cedar.

"I'm more than okay with that," Jason breathed as his lips found Mitchie's neck. She tilted her head slightly, giving his hungry mouth the access to her skin it desired. His hands moved to the zipper at the back of her dress, searching her eyes in the mirror for permission to continue. She nodded, a little shiver running down her spine as she was unzipped. The silky material skimmed her skin as it fell, pooling around her feet on the floor.

"Yuck," Mitchie spat as she examined the image of herself standing in her matching black lace underwear set. She turned around to face Jason, stepping out of her dress and kicking her shoes off in the process.

"Why is it that you're the only person who can't see how beautiful you are, Mitchie?" Jason sighed.

"I don't know; why don't you make me see it?" Mitchie challenged as she pulled Jason close. In an instant his strong arms were around her, his lips on hers. As the kiss deepened Mitchie's mind began to run wild, and she realized the situation was making her feel a bit guilty. She had only become reacquainted with Jason four days ago, and she was so willing to fall into bed with him because of his sweet nature. When she was with him she felt safe and protected, like nothing else in the world could touch her. She knew she didn't love him-it was far too soon to even consider that-but she also knew that emotion wasn't essential in situations like this one. All she cared about was the fact that he made her feel safe, the one thing she craved in her life.

"I'll show you; I'd do anything for you," Jason said, and that was all Mitchie needed to hear. She allowed him to scoop her up and carry her across the room, placing her carefully on the neatly-made bed. She dug her way under the covers to escape the cool air, motion for him to join her.

"Take your shirt off?" Mitchie suggested sweetly, and in an instant Jason was in her arms while his shirt was on the floor. She pulled her hair from its ponytail, giggling as she shook it out in his face.

"Hey, watch it!" Jason exclaimed, pulling a still-laughing Mitchie on top of him.

"I'm going to crush you," Mitchie warned.

"Are you crazy?" Jason asked, "Don't talk like that; you are the most perfect, gorgeous girl I've ever laid eyes on! What will it take to get you to stop saying things like that?" Mitchie gave him a quick kiss and a wink, giving her answer without saying a word. In one swift move he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside before flipping her on her back, catching her off-guard.

"Wow," Mitchie gasped, "I'd never expect that from sweet, quiet Jason."

"And I never expected you to be nearly naked in my bed; I guess this is a weird night." Jason shrugged, taking in the sight of her.

"Well, I could be completely naked, but it just doesn't seem fair…" Mitchie smirked as Jason took the hint, kicking his jeans off to even the score. They now both laid in just their underwear, Jason hovering over Mitchie with their lips barely an inch apart.

"You know, I never even went this far with Shane," Mitchie confessed before realizing how inappropriate her words were. "Oh, my God, I'm sorry; why did I say that? That's probably the last thing you want to hear about right now." She was flustered and rambling again, but Jason's kisses had a calming effect on her. His lips found hers, his tongue begging for entrance to her mouth. His calloused, gentle fingers explored every inch of her frame, drawing a deep moan from her.

"Your skin is so soft," Jason murmured, satisfied with the response his actions had received. His hands grazed her jutting hips and hooked a thumb in the waistband of her panties, pulling them down her thighs, over her knees, and, finally, past her immaculately-pained toes. He moved his fingers back to tickle her inner thighs as his lips found her collarbone, sucking lightly to avoid leaving a mark.

"Jason, please," Mitchie pleaded, "stop teasing me!" She tugged impatiently at the last article of clothing separating her from Jason. The longing in her voice tore him up inside; he never wanted to hear her so desperate again, so he obliged. In a quick moment he was inside of her, eliciting another gasp from her as a result of the sudden contact.

"Move, Jason," Mitchie panted, "faster." Jason rested his forehead on hers as he followed the request, small beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"God, you're amazing; this is amazing," Jason breathed as Mitchie's hips crashed into his over and over again. She locked her eyes with his and let out a moan of agreement, raking her fingernails down his back. She felt high in the moment, better than anyone or anything had ever made her feel before. She was flooded by a rush of emotions, alternating between pure bliss and raging lust as she began to laugh, amused by the sound of the headboard slamming against the wall.

"I-I've never made this much noise before; we're probably keep the whole floor up-Oh, Jason!" Stars exploded behind Mitchie's eyes as she reached her end, Jason following right behind her. He collapsed beside her, the biggest smile she'd ever seen plastered across his face.

"Stay here tonight, please?" Jason requested, and Mitchie's answer was obvious as she curled up in the crook of his arm.

"Mmm…walk home in the dark and snow, or lay in this warm bed with a cute boy; that's a tough choice!" Mitchie strained to plant a kiss on Jason's forehead and then dropped back amongst the pillows, her eyelids growing heavy. She closed them with the intent of a quick nap, but deep sleep overcame her.

It was nearly ten in the morning when Mitchie opened her eyes again, surprising herself; she couldn't even begin to recall the last time she'd slept so late. she looked over at Jason, discovering he laid snoring lightly with his back to her. She quietly peeled the blankets back and stepped out of bed in search of clothing.

"Where are you sneaking off to?" Jason's sleepy voice filled the room as Mitchie pulled his thick flannel shirt over her head.

"Oops, I didn't want to wake you up!" Mitchie flashed an innocent smile, "I'm just going to get a snack from the vending machines, do you want anything?" She rummaged through her purse, victoriously pulling out a dollar.

"You're going like that?" Jason snickered, eyeing Mitchie's messy hair and the shirt that barely covered her otherwise naked body.

"Why not? It's just down the hall, no one will see me!" "If you say so! I don't want anything, no, just for you to hurry back to me," Jason said, "here, take my key so you can get back in." Mitchie snatched the card from his hand and made her way out the door, her spirits higher than they'd been in ages.

Two rooms down, a hung over Shane stumbled into the hallway at the same moment. His eyes locked with Mitchie's, putting the pieces together as he noticed her exit from Jason's room in his friend's day-old clothes. He wished he was still drunk so this scene wouldn't pain him, but it only intensified his growing headache. At the exact same time, for the exact same reason, Shane Gray and Mitchie Torres felt sick to their stomachs, like the floor beneath them had begun to sway.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Thanks so much for reading! I'm not sure how many chapters this story has in it, maybe only 3 or 4 more, we'll have to see. I really appreciate all the great things you've been saying about it, and I'm trying to brainstorm ideas for what to write next. Please keep your reviews coming!_

Chapter Seven

Shane opened his mouth to speak, but no words came; instead, he felt the contents of his stomach rising inside of him. The previous night's alcohol combined with the heart crushing sight of Mitchie made him feel extremely ill, and he rushed back to his own room to avoid being sick in front of her.

"Shane," Mitchie murmured, but he was already gone. She stood alone in the hallway for a minute hoping he would come back, but he never did. He was already holed up in his room, unsure if he'd ever come back out, completely unaware that Mitchie was dying to explain herself. Seeing him under such circumstances wasn't something she'd anticipated, and her heart broke for him; she couldn't' even begin to imagine what he must've been feeling. She slid the card key into Jason's door and reentered the room without a word.

"That was quick," Jason said as the door shut, looking up. "What happened to the snack?" Mitchie glanced at the dollar she was still clutching, throwing it to the ground.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Mitchie was stone-faced, trying to keep her emotions hidden as she spoke.

"Mitchie, what's wrong?" Jason saw through Mitchie's somber demeanor, and she decided to stop fighting her feelings. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she walked to the bed and crawled into his arms, noticing the confusion in his eyes.

"I saw Shane," Mitchie sobbed, her body shaking in Jason's arms.

"What did he do?!" Jason demanded, and it was the first time Mitchie had ever seen him angry. She began to cry harder; she had never meant to cause such conflict, and she didn't know how to respond.

"Hey, hey, calm down, please?" Jason pleaded. "I'm not mad, not at you. But what happened?" He held Mitchie tight, trying to wipe her tears away with her free hand, and Mitchie was again reminded of how safe he made her feel.

"He-he didn't say anything…but the way he looked at me…I feel sick." Mitchie buried her face in the crook of Jason's neck, done discussing the matter.

"What can I do for you?" Jason asked, his voice full of concern. "I mean, you can stay here as long as you need to, but tell me what else I can do."

"There is one thing that could make me feel better," Mitchie cooed, batting a wet eyelash.. She crashed her lips into Jason's and used a finger to trace a path down his torso. He returned the kiss for a moment, overwhelmed by her touch, but pulled away as soon as he cleared his mind.

"Mitchie, no, this probably isn't a good idea right now."

"You had no problem last night," Mitchie scoffed, insulted but not discouraged. She inched her hand lower and lower until Jason stopped her.

"You're upset right now," Jason sighed, "Don't try to use me to forget about whatever just happened with Shane, alright? Let's just relax for a while and calm down." He tried to coax Mitchie back into him, but she was having no part of it.

"Just forget it. I've got to call; call me later if you're bored or something." Mitchie quickly removed herself from the bed and yanked the shirt off, replacing it with her wrinkled dress from the previous night.

Don't be like that, I wasn't trying to be mean!" Jason exclaimed. Mitchie knew it was true, but she ignored him anyway. She knew he'd do anything to mend the situation, but all she wanted to do was act selfish and escape the suffocating hotel before it was too late. She let out a little laugh as she stumbled down the hall in her high heels, envisioning the similarities between the current moment and the day she broke up with Shane. As she took the painfully long elevator ride to the ground floor she was hit by another wave of nausea, wondering if the members of Connect Three would trade their hotel stories involving her. The manner in which she rushed through the lobby elicited a few stares from employees and guests, but it didn't faze her. She pushed her way out of the hotel doors and stormed down the sidewalk, a look of determination painted across her face.

"Shit!" Mitchie yelped as her feet slipped on the slick pavement. She managed to catch her balance and avoided falling, leaving her no choice but to slow her pace a bit. Fat snowflakes continued to fall, landing in her hair as she conquered the seven blocks that separated her and her dormitory. It was half past ten when she finally burst into her room, looking like a freezing, soaking-wet mess.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Cassie snickered as the door swung open. She glanced up from the book she'd been reading, her eyes growing wide with shock as she took in the sight of her room mate. "What, Mitchie, long night?!"

"You could say that." Mitchie pocked up a hand-held mirror from Cassie's desk and held it up in front of herself. She understood her friend's reaction now: she looked like an absolute disaster.

"Oh my God! Old, wrinkled clothes, stumbling home in the morning…did you get some last night?" Mitchie ignored the question, boo busy rummaging through her clean clothes for a suitable change.

"I'm going to take that as a yes!" Cassie squealed, excited to have the latest gossip, "So come on, spill it: who's the lucky guy? I know it wasn't Travis; he came here looking for you last night and this morning." Mitchie looked over at her roommate for a second, shaking her head before returning her attention to her clothes. She shed the dressed and pulled her typical gym clothes on, now in pursuit of a pair of tennis shoes.

"You're not going to tell me anything?" Cassie whined. Mitchie was in no mood to talk to anyone, especially not about the events of the previous night.

"No, I just stopped in to change. I've got to go to the gym; maybe I'll see you later." Mitchie tied the laces on the pair of shoes she'd managed to locate, shoving the earbuds of her ipod in her ears before exiting the room. She jogged down the stairs and out the building, picking up her pace to a full-on run once she was outside. Her ipod was blasting the angriest music she owned; she saved this play list for the moments like this when she ran to get past her worries.

The small, on-campus gym was completely vacant when she finally entered, just the way she liked it. She climbed on the treadmill and set it to a steep incline, immediately satisfied with the way her feet pounded on the machine as she ran. Before college she had rarely, if ever, exercised outside of P.E. in school, but it the past year it had become an obsession. Nothing could relieve her tension, take her mind off of things, like working up a good sweat. She closed her eyes as she ran, envisioning all her problems falling right off of her, and opened them to see Travis standing in front of the treadmill.

"Go away," Mitchie yelled over the music being delivered to her ears. She saw Travis' lips move, a stern look on his face, but her ipod was drowning out the sound. She rolled her eyes as she realized he wouldn't stop, annoyed her workout had been interrupted.

"I didn't hear any of that," Mitchie said apathetically, pulling the headphones from her ears.

"Where have you been? Since when don't you text me back?" Travis had fire in his eyes as he repeated his questions.

"Sorry, Mom," Mitchie snarled, "I was busy!" She reached out and hit a button, increasing the treadmill's speed.

"Out partying with all your new rock star buddies? You could've invited me, you know; I've still got my fake I.D.!"

"Nah," Mitchie said matter-of-factly, "My phone was on silent, and Jason and I slept in late; my bad."

"That's not even funny." Travis examined Mitchie's stone face, and it suddenly clicked: she was being honest. "Oh God, you aren't joking! What were you thinking?!" He removed his glasses and rubbed his temples, a nervous habit he'd always suffered.

"Well, I was thinking that he's good looking, a great kisser, the bed was right there-"

"Whoa, okay Mitch, I don't really want to hear it. Get off the treadmill and talk to me, please," Travis pleaded. Mitchie shook her head and looked past him, and that was the final straw. He slapped the power button and held out his arms, catching her as she tripped from the sudden change in momentum.

"That…was rude! Go away," Mitchie huffed in between deep breaths.

"Why are you acting like this? Tell me what's going on." Travis released Mitchie and just stared at her with concern; he didn't want to force her into telling the story.

"You're just going to lecture me again," Mitchie said before taking a sip of the water Travis had thoughtfully brought along with him.

"Well I'm sorry if I can only see the negatives in you sleeping with your ex-boyfriend's best friend. You should both realize how much trouble this will inevitably cause."

"Do I really have to live my life, take every action, with Shane in mind? He deserves a little grief. You know, I hope he's feeling pretty sorry for himself right about now!" Mitchie slammed the water bottle back on the table.

"Oh God," Travis sighed, "What happened?"

"Shane might've seen me walking down the hotel hallway wearing nothing but Jason's shirt." Mitchie tried to smirk, act like the morning's encounter had given her pleasure, but she couldn't uphold the façade. Thinking of the way Shane had looked at her created a big mess of feelings with her. She had experienced guilt, anger, humor, sadness, and heartbreak all in one instant, and she was still reeling from it.

"Don't even try to act like you find that funny, Mitch. I know you better than that," Travis said sympathetically.

"It was embarrassing," Mitchie admitted, "and you should've seen his face. Why do I care so much after all this time? I just want to be over it, all of it." She hung her head a bit and allowed Travis to pull her into a hug.

"We've been in this position way too often this week, huh? All because of Connect Three!" Mitchie nodded into Travis' chest, unable to disagree.

"Can you walk me home?" Mitchie didn't even need to ask; Travis was yet another boy that would do anything for her.

"Absolutely." Travis shoved Mitchie's ipod in his pocket and took her by the hand, leading her out onto the slushy sidewalk.

"You're the second boy I've held with hands with this week," Mitchie laughed, "but let me make it clear right now, I will not be having sex with you!"

"Mitch, that's twisted, so shut up! I don't need to think about you doing that with anyone,' Travis said with a grimace, "but I might not have a choice…"

"What?" Mitchie looked in the direction Travis was staring, letting out a small gasp. She yanked her hand from his as she spotted Jason pacing back and forth in front of her building.

"Don't leave us along, not just yet," Mitchie whispered to Travis, receiving his agreement before she waved to Jason. Travis lingered a few yards behind, just within earshot of the conversation.

"Do you have a second to talk?" Jason asked apprehensively. He looked nervous, like he was afraid Mitchie might run away from him again.

"Sure, yeah, I mean, I owe it to you," Mitchie stumbled over her words, "Sorry, can I just ask how long you've been here?"

"Not too long…I went inside and realized I have no clue which room is yours, but the girl at the desk told me she saw you leave. I figured I'd wait around for a while, and, at the very least, leave a note or something." Jason shrugged, and Mitchie felt insanely guilty.

"I can't believe you came to find me after this morning." Mitchie shook her head; she was certain she wasn't worthy of such treatment.

"There's no way I wouldn't come find you after last night," Jason explained, and Mitchie thought she might've spotted a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm alright, I just-" For the second time that morning Mitchie's voice became caught in her throat, once again thanks to an unexpected sight. "What is he doing here?" Jason turned around to find the source of Mitchie's disruption, spotting Shane trudging across the snowy lawn towards the two. Travis looked around frantically, searching the otherwise empty landscape for a fellow witness; he couldn't believe the scene was playing out before his very eyes.

"Shane, I don't know what you're doing here, but can it wait? I'm trying to talk to Mitchie." Jason tried to dismiss his friend as politely as possible. He saw the pain in Mitchie's eyes as Shane joined them, and he was desperate to diffuse the situation before it was created.

"We really need to talk; I'm sure this is more important," Shane pleaded, pushing his way past Jason until he stood directly in front of Mitchie.

"I can't handle this right now." Mitchie covered her face.

"Please? I know you said when you're ready to talk you'd come to me, but this morning-"

"This morning," Jason interrupted, "you sent her into my room crying! I can't believe you followed me here, Shane, but you need to leave."

"What was she doing in your room in the first place? So much for 'best friends.'" Shane turned to jab an angry finger into Jason's chest.

"I'm right here, you guys," Mitchie said with exasperation, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"You had your chance and you blew it, Shane. Get over it," Jason spat, smacking Shane's hand away.

"Jason, you're pathetic." The truth was Shane didn't think any higher of himself at the moment, but that wasn't the point.

"Do you really want to go there?" Jason asked, now completely worked up. "'Pathetic' is breaking up with someone and then obsessively holding a flame for them for the next three years! 'Pathetic' is not being able to mind your own business. Most of all, 'pathetic' is following me here. Get a life."

"'Get a life?!' I'm supposed to 'get a life' because you're busy trying to steal the one I had?"

"Stop, this is getting way out of hand!" Mitchie said, a bit louder this time, still with no result. In all of her nineteen years on this Earth she'd never before had two boys fight over her, and it felt terrible. The friends were too engaged in their conflict to acknowledge her, yet they had no problem speaking on her behalf.

"You're jealous," Jason explained, "jealous that I finally accomplished something you didn't."

"Poor Jason, always second fiddle, never quite good enough," Shane sneered. He knew just the right way to get his friend where it hurt. "Are you proud of yourself for picking at my leftovers?"

"You two are disgusting," Mitchie said, and this time she was heard loud and clear. They were speaking of her as if she was just another one of their numerous possessions, and she was beyond horrified. She turned her back and walked towards Travis, not caring where they want as long as it was away from their current scene. What happened next was not seen, but definitely heard, by Mitchie: the sickening crack of a fist making contact with a jaw, followed by the sound of a body falling to the wet pavement in pain.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: Last chapter was the best received/most reviewed so far, so thank you guys! There are either 2 or 3 chapters left after this one, it just depends on how it all looks on paper...and if you're a Shane/Mitchie shipper, well, you better stick around! Thanks for being patient, and please keep sending me your reviews!_

Chapter Eight

"Holy shit," Travis said with wide-eyes. Mitchie spun around to see the source of the commotion, the view causing her stomach to turn.

"Shane!" Mitchie yelled. After years of avoiding the name it now seemed destined to fall from her mouth, rolling right off her tongue every time things took a turn for the worse.

"Don't, Mitch." Travis tried to hold his friend back as she moved to retrace her steps. Sure, he was a bit bigger than both of the members of Connect Three that stood in front of him, but that didn't make him feel any better about the situation. The way one boy knocked the other down with one punch made him nervous; there was no telling who he'd take a swing at next. Mitchie, however, seemed far-less concerned. She stormed over to the two friends, disgusted with the way one stood, triumphantly hovering over the other as he sat on the cold ground, holding his face in pain.

"Mitchie…" Shane said, half sighing, half whimpering.

"Don't even think of touching her," Travis warned Shane, watching Mitchie as she dropped to her knees to tend to Jason.

"Mind your own business," Shane growled, promptly biting his tongue as Mitchie shot him a searing glare. If looks could kill, he would've been dead on the spot.

"That…fucking hurt," Jason managed to say, pain washing over him with each word he spoke.

"Why did this happen?" Mitchie asked, and she realized all eyes were on her. She let a few tears roll down her cold cheek as she let the emotion set in: this was all her fault. All three boys stood in this spot because of her, and two friends had resorted to fist fighting over her.

"Don't cry," Jason said, "look, I'm alright." Even through his pain he found Mitchie more important than himself, and the notion still surprised her.

"You're not okay, and this is all because of me!"

"Here, man." Travis offered one hadn to Jason and the other to Mitchie, helping both of them back to their feet.

"Oh, your face…" Mitchie brought her hand softly to the brusie already forming on Jason's jaw, careful not to touch it.

"I do get that reaction a lot," Jason joked, trying to lighten the mood, "but really, I'm okay! I'm standing, aren't I?" He gave a thankful nod to Travis and then wrapped an arm firmly around Mitchie.

"I should've broken your jaw!" Shane cried, his eyes full of envy. Nothing had changed; Mitchie was still giving all her attention to Jason, leaving Shane alone again. He saw he was going about things the wrong way, but it was all he knew.

"Why are you even still here?" Mitchie demanded. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

"I'm just-"

"Shut up," Mitchie interrupted, "I didn't actually want to hear your answers. But really, Shane, who do you think you are? Your life is obviously a wreck, and it's not fair for you to try and drag us all down with you. Forget about that 'talk' you were hoping for; I'm so ove all of this." It was the most she had said to Shane in three years, and it certainly wasn't the way he expected things to play out. He wanted to reply, say something to justify his actions, but he just didn't' have it in him.

"Can we get out of here?" Mitchie asked once she realized Shane as truly shut up, at least for the time being. She moved to lead Jason and Travis away, but Shane reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Mitchie, wait." Shane ran his thumb across the bracelet wrapped around Mitchie's small wrist. She looked down at his finger on the metal, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Her eyes rose to meet his, giving him a look which said it was not the right time to get into such matters.

"I thought I told you not to touch her," Travis said sternly, pushing Shane's hand away.

"Sorry," Shane mumbled. He rubbed his sore fist as he watched the three walk away from him, and he felt pathetic for wanting to cry. Why couldn't they like him the way they liked Jason? Shane always had the popularity, his star always shined the brightest, but Jason was the one people genuinely liked. Once people got over the shock of being around a superstar, he was replaced by his best friend; why couldn't they give him a chance? He was ashamed of the way he'd acted, but no one had even bothered to let him apologize. Instead, he was left all alone in his foreign town, the metaphor of his life come to fruition.

As the distance between the group and Shane grew, Jason finally spoke again.

"I really don't know what happened back there, you guys, but I'm so sorry."

"He hit you; I don't think you need to apologize," Travis said. Mitchie heard the two boys talking, but she couldn't concentrate on what was being said. Her eyes were on the ground, her mind wandering as she considered everything that had just happened. Both parties involved in the argument had said less-than-friendly things about her, and she wondered how it had all come to that point.

"Mitch, are you alright?" Travis asked, causing Mitchie to look up. She realized Jason had been supporting most of her weight, practically dragging her down the sidewalk.

"I'm fine," Mitchie lied, looking around, " So, where are we going?"

"My room, for now; I didn't' know where else to go." Travis shrugged.

"Sounds good to me; I've never been in a dorm room," Jason admitted. He could tell Mitchie wasn't okay, and he rubbed her arm gently in an attempt to ease her mind.

"Well, here we are!" Travis held the building's front door open, ushering the pair inside. They walked by the front desk, empty like the majority of the school now was; Winter Break had officially begun, and most of the students had already migrated home.

"Home, sweet home." Travis said sarcastically as he led the way into his room.

"Wow, this is pretty cool!" Jason looked around the room in wonder. "I'm kind of jealous, I never got to do the whole college thing. So, where's your roommate?"

"I don't have one."

"Travis is a trust fund kid from the next town over," Mitchie interjected, "He didn't even need to stay on campus, but he wanted that 'authentic' college experience."

"Pretty stupid, right? I forgot that the housekeeper wasn't coming with me." Travis scowled as he kicked dirty clothes out of his way. Jason laughed and Mitchie feigned a smile, feeling increasingly out of place. She never had the luxury of being waited on the way the two boys in front of her had, and she knew she wasn't in on the joke. Without another word she took a seat on Travis' bed, pulling Jason down to sit beside her. It was clear the two had things they needed to talk about, and Travis took the hint.

"I'm going to leave you guys alone for a while," Travis said, backing up to the door once again, "Just don't, um…don't disrespect my bed!" He quickly slipped into the hallway, missing the blush he'd managed to draw from the pair.

"That was embarrassing," Mitchie said as she shifted uncomfortably, "this whole day has been…" She trailed off, unsure of the right words to use.

"Weird? Awkward?" Jason offered. He shifted his aching jaw into a smile, trying to coax the same out of Mitchie.

"Both of those work." Mitchie nodded, her sullen face refusing to budge.

"Are you sure you're okay, I mean, really? You can talk to me; I know today has been rough."

"I'm not the one that got punched," Mitchie scoffed, trying to push the focus of the conversation away from herself.

"Yeah, but you still got it pretty bad from Shane."

"You had some pretty awful things to say, too!" Mitchie exclaimed, finally saying what was on her mind. The way the band mates had fought over her, talked about her like she was nothing more than a piece of meat, still stung.

"I can't believe I said what I said out there, Mitchie." Jason looked Mitchie square in the eyes, and it was evident he was being sincere. "That wasn't me; you know that, right?"

"I know, Jason. You're so sweet, and this week has been pretty amazing. I'm glad to have you back in my life," Mitchie said as she wrapped her arms around Jason, "you're such a good friend." She wished she had stopped after she spoke her last sentence; the term 'friends' seemed potentially too loose after what had happened the previous night. She looked at him apprehensively, trying to gauge his reaction.

"It's cool," Jason assured genuinely, "I'm happy we met back up, too. We've had fun together, but I've been around the block enough times to see that you really love Shane."

"Why would you even say that? It's so not true," Mitchie protested. She pulled her arms away from Jason and crossed them firmly across her chest, scowling.

"Come on, I can read you like a book, Mitchie. You obviously care a lot about Shane after all this time, and he feels the same."

"He does a really terrible job of showing it." Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"See, so you get that! Shane is great at expressing himself in song, but he's a wreck outside of music. The way he acted outside, that's just his temper getting the best of him. Trust me, you've been his world since the day you two met. Please, just talk to him?" Jason had perfected his salesman act, and Mitchie admired his dedication to his friend despite the fight they'd just had.

"I don't know if I can," Mitchie said, shaking her head. "This is all too much, too fast."

"Hear him out; you might be surprised by what he has to say."

"Is this all part of Shane's plan? Did he pay you to get on my good side so you could convince me to talk to him?" Mitchie asked, her suspicions growing. She considered Jason far too kind to create such a scheme, but it definitely didn't seem far off of Shane's moral compass.

"Not a chance! Shane might be my best friend, but I do try to think for myself these days. I care about you, I care about Shane, and you two obviously care for each other; what kind of person would I be if I didn't use my powers to bring you guys together?" Jason smirked as much as his aching jaw would allow, and Mitchie felt her heart swell. How had she managed to be so lucky, to have so many people so willing to help her?

"I could kiss you right now, Jason, do you know that?"

"Be gentle!" Jason exclaimed with a wink. The next instant Mitchie's lips were on his, a hand tangled in his brown hair. It was her attempt at both giving her thanks and easing his pain, and as he relaxed into her she could tell it was working. They were both consumed with each other, too preoccupied to notice the door open.

"Guys," Travis said as he took two steps into the room, causing the pair to shoot apart.

"Travis," Mitchie blurted, the word tumbling from her lips, "we were, um, just, uh, it's not what you're thinking-"

"I don't care about it, Mitch." Travis' voice was flat and precise, a fact that concerned the rest of the room.

"What's wrong?" Mitchie looked at her friend with worry.

"You guys need to come out here." Travis motioned to the hall sternly, convincing Mitchie and Jason to rise to their feet. The spilled out into the hallway, surprised by the scene that greeted them.

"Uh, what's going on?" Jason asked. His eyes fell upon the two uniformed men standing behind Travis.

"Sire, we're from Campus Security," one of the men spoke, "we received a report that the three of you, along with another person already in our custody, were involved in an altercation about forty-five minutes ago."

"Oh my God; you're kidding me, right?" Mitchie sighed. The news that Shane had apparently already been taken in provided her no relief; she couldn't believe any of this was actually happening.

"No, ma'am; the university takes reports of physical disputes very seriously. We're going to have to ask that you all come with us to the Security Station so we can settle this." The three friends looked at each other, and Travis mumbled a few angry words as the followed the men out of the building in shame.

The security building was one of the very few on campus that Mitchie had never been in, and she longed for the luxury of keeping it that way.

"This is awful," Jason whispered as the group was led to the waiting room. The walls were painted an uncomfortably bright shade of white, as if someone had primed them and then neglected to cover it with a more suitable color. Once the shock of the décor dissipated, they were left to deal with the presence of Shane. He occupied the furthest right chair in a row of four, a look of disgrace on his face. For different reasons-hope for Jason, spite for Travis-the two boys took their seats, leaving Mitchie the chair directly next to Shane.

"I'll stand," Mitchie snarled, shooting her friends a glare as she leaned against the cold wall.

"Sit down, ma'am," One of the security guards commanded, causing Travis and Jason to snicker. Mitchie begrudgingly took her seat, letting out a little shiver as the cool plastic hit the back of her thighs. She was suddenly forced to realize that she as still wearing her workout clothes, and she wasn't sure she could've felt more self-conscious.

"Alright, you two can come with me first." The security guard pointed a finger at Jason and Travis, demanding that they rise from the chairs they had just begun to occupy. Travis opened his mouth to protest, but Mitchie shook her head to silence him; they were already there, so what good would it do to refuse to cooperate? She watched as the two followed the man into the next room, leaving her alone with the last person she wanted to be around.

"Why didn't you move to a different chair?" Shane inquired, breaking the awkward silence that had washed over the pair.

"What?" Mitchie was instantly annoyed; Shane had finally gained the courage to speak to her, and he had chosen such a rude question.

"You'd rather stand than have to sit next to me," Shane explained, looking slightly hurt at the thought, "so why didn't' you move as soon as you had the chance?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that stupid question with a response," Mitchie said. The truth was, however, that she didn't know how to answer; the reason was still a mystery to her as well.

"Fine," Shane shook off the insult, "but you know, you wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for me." Mitchie let out a husky laugh, the kind he knew always accompanied an annoyed remark.

"You are absolutely right, Shane! I wouldn't be caught dead in this building, and I've got you to thank for bringing me here." Mitchie was now fuming. She'd never been in trouble, aside from the problems Shane seemed to drag her into; none of it seemed like anything he should want to take responsibility for.

"No, think bigger," Shane urged.

"I have no idea what you're getting at, and I don't want to play this game."

"This life you're living right now…do you think this is where you'd be if we were still together?" The question threw Mitchie off-guard, as did the sincerity of Shane's voice. It was a point she'd never given any thought, and it made her curious. Maybe she'd gone about things the wrong way; maybe she should've heard him out instead of investing so much time in avoiding him.

"Mister Gray, can you join us in here?" One of the security guards poked his head out of the door to speak, jarring Mitchie from her considerations.

"Don't worry about it," Shane said softly, noticing the way Mitchie was looking at him, "any of it." He shuffled fearlessly through the doorway, leaving her alone to contemplate the idea he had just placed in her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: I'm so sorry it took me almost a week to get this chapter up! I made it longer than all the others to make up for it, so I hope you guys like it! Unfortunately there's only one chapter left after this, but I do have an idea for my next story in mind, and I'm trying to come up with a one-shot as well. Please subscribe to me as an author if you haven't already so that you can keep up with everything I post, and please send me your reviews! Thanks so much!_

Chapter Nine

The minutes seemed to drag like hours as Mitchie sat alone in the waiting room. The stark, bare walls offered her no distraction, leaving her no choice but to face the many questions racing through her mind. What were they talking about in the other room? Was Shane right about what he'd said earlier? Why couldn't the school bother to turn the heat on in the dead of winter? She couldn't calm the thoughts swirling around in her head, and as the door swung open she became even more overwhelmed. Although she'd really had no part in the fight she was certain she was about the face the same fat as her friends, suffer the same consequences.

"Wow, Mitch, you're still here? You're more honest than I am; if they would've left me alone, I would've ran!" Mitchie was confused; she was watching the three boys file out of the room, and they weren't in any sort of custody. In fact, she thought she could actually see a hint of a smile on Travis' face as he spoke.

"What's going on?" Mitchie whispered as she stood up, trying to keep her voice low so that only Travis heard her.

"We're all free to go," Jason explained, and that was all Mitchie needed to hear. She quickly made a beeline for the exit, breathing a sigh of relief as she burst outside. The afternoon sky was dark and dreary, a welcome change from the Security Station's blinding white walls.

"Whoa, Mitchie, slow down!" Jason called out, jogging to catch up to Mitchie. She was too enthralled by the sound of her sneakers pounding against the pavement to respond, forcing him to reach out and grab her by the arm.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Home? I don't know; I just couldn't stand that room anymore," Mitchie huffed, looking at Jason's hand where it rested on her arm, "I just need a second to breathe." It seemed the world had been spinning out of control for the past week, and her body was begging her for a break.

"Well, I have a question for you before you go." Mitchie let out a little sigh and looked off into the distance. She had no idea what Jason could possibly ask of her now, but she knew she owed him the courtesy of listening.

"The band and I," Jason continued, accepting Mitchie's silence as his okay to pose the question, "well, we were invited to a Christmas party tomorrow night. It's at the house of this family-"

"The Winchesters," Travis and Mitchie interrupted in unison.

"Oh, so you guys were invited, too?"

"No way," Mitchie scoffed, "we don't really get invited to things. It's an annual event, thought; it was the talk of the school last year." The Winchesters were the wealthiest family in town, and they threw huge parties to celebrate every holiday imaginable. As far as Mitchie knew a couple of the family's children attended the university, but she had never even encountered them.

"I think you two should come," Jason said as he eyed Mitchie and Travis, "it'll be fun-a good distraction from all of this drama." Mitchie shook her head fiercely; there was no way she would step foot in that party.

"I'm always down for a party!" Travis exclaimed, ignoring the silent protests of his friend.

"That's the spirit! Come on, Mitchie, it wont' be a party to me if you aren't there." Jason held his hands up as if he were begging, twisting his face into a pout.

"Is Shane going to be there?"

"He's part of the band, so yeah."

"Well, forget about me going, then." Mitchie was going to hold her ground, feeling particularly stubborn that afternoon.

"It's not like anyone is asking you to spend the party handcuffed to Shane," Jason joked, "I think you could manage to avoid him; I heard the house is huge. Still, it wouldn't kill you to have one conversation with him."

"Why do you keep pushing that?" Mitchie demanded, "Do you really think that's at the top of my 'to-do' list?" She didn't know why Jason was being so involved with the matter. It was clear he felt caught in the middle, destined to be their mediator, but she wished he would just give it a rest.

"I was trying to let you figure it out for yourself, Mitchie, but at this point maybe I just need to be blunt: you need to talk to him. You owe him that much." Jason turned to look at Shane, who was lingering several yards back at the building's entrance. "He saved our butts back there."

"What?"

"Shane is the reason we're walking out of here with no problem."

"And I bet he bribed the security guards! What was it, money or concert tickets? I'm aware of Shane's idea of 'problem solving.'" Mitchie was getting upset again, certain she had the scene all figured out.

"No, Mitch, he just told the truth," Travis interjected.

"He offered to take all the blame to get the rest of us out of there. He was very specific that you had nothing to do with the fight; he made sure you didn't even have to go in that office with us." Mitchie felt her heart sink a little as Jason's words set in, guilt washing over her. If what her friends were saying was true, she had no choice but to go to the party and face Shane.

"Fine, fine, I'll be there," Mitchie groaned, rolling her eyes as the two boys in front of her traded high-fives in rejoice.

The following night's sky was illuminated by the thousands of twinkling lights that were carefully strung around the outside of the Winchester home. The large house was nestled at the end of a ritzy street Mitchie had never before ventured down, and she walked down the long, snowy driveway with caution.

"I'm going to stand out like a sore thumb in there, Travis! It's not too late to go home, watch a DVD?" Mitchie stared at the expensive cars littering the front of the house. She was intimidated and afraid it showed; after all, there was a reason why she had never been invited to such an event.

"Oh, don't' be like that!" Travis slipped Mitchie's hand into his own, giving it a friendly squeeze. "This will be an adventure. So, um, do we ring the doorbell or just walk right in?" The pair laughed together at their inexperience, their voices drowned out by music as the approached the front door. They party was apparently already in full-swing, so they slipped inside without bother to ask for permission.

Bodies were scattered all throughout the spacious first floor of the house, the rooms a jumbled mess of people struggling to have conversations over the stereo system. Mitchie scanned the room for any familiar faces, but only found a tray of precisely filled glasses being presented to her.

"They have waiters at their house party; who does that?" Travis snatched two drinks from the tray and handed one to Mitchie before they continued their lap around the party, settling on an unoccupied corner.

"There are a million people here, but I haven't seen a single person I've ever talked to; where do you think Jason and Nate are hiding?" Mitchie scanned the room nervously, unaware all three band members had her in their sights.

"She's looking for us," Nate said, faintly audible over the roar of the party.

"She's looking for Jason," Shane corrected, "you've barely seen her all week, and she wouldn't be caught dead around me." The words were painful to speak, scraping past his tongue like razorblades. He watched Mitchie very carefully from the other side of the room, studying every element of her appearance. She looked gorgeous, her slim face framed by waves of hair she had gently pinned back. Her dark eyes were pained a smoky orange-brown, making him smile as he realized how much the shade resembled the sunsets they had shared together at camp. He watched her lips move swiftly as she spoke to Travis, noticing they were stained a soft rose, thanks to the wine she was sipping. Her words drew a hearty laugh from her companion, and Shane would've given anything to be in on the joke.

"Stop staring and go talk to her." Nate smirked, amused by the lovesick expression his friend's face.

"It's not that easy; what would I say? 'Hey, sorry I broke up with you. Sorry I punched your new boyfriend.' Is Jason even her boyfriend? He said no, he told me to fix things with her, but who knows what she thinks about it all. I don't even know where to start; this is way too heavy for me." Shane's eyes stayed locked on Mitchie as he lamented. Her current outfit was much more put together than the workout clothes she'd worn the previous day, but she looked far more casual than she had at the benefit. Her forest green, strapless party dress hit just about the knee, and he wondered if she felt cold on such a wintry night.

"You're rambling, Shane! You're a twenty-two year old rock star, but you can't talk to your ex-girlfriend? Seriously, just get it over with; you're the reason she came to this party." Without warning, Nate gave his friend a push. Shane wanted to protest, but it seemed his feet had a mind of their own. They were carrying him swiftly in Mitchie's direction, and her shock was hard to miss.

"Shane," Mitchie murmured, causing Shane's heart to skip a beat. He realized it was all she was capable of saying whenever she first caught sight of him, and he wanted to know whether the cause was frustration or nerves.

"Hey." Shane gave a little nod to Travis before building the courage to look Mitchie in the eyes. "Do you think maybe we could talk? I know you said no, but five minutes of your time would mean a lot to me." Once he spoke he was on his toes, prepared to leave after being rejected.

"I can barely hear a word you're saying," Mitchie yelled over the music, hoping Shane might get her hint. He noticed the look of anticipation in her eyes, and it clicked.

"Do you want to go find somewhere more quiet?" Shane flashed a weak smile, afraid he sounded as if he were coming on to Mitchie. The thought apparently failed to cross her mind; instead, she searched Travis' face for his opinion. He gave her a look which begged for her to be careful, and then released her hand.

"I'm following you," Mitchie stated with a shrug. She was instantly flustered-he had no idea how to navigate the enormous house-but he wasn't about to blow what had to be his last chance. He pushed his way through the cluster of party-goers, making the decision to lead her up the winding staircase. The roar of the music began to dull as they traveled further and further up, both of them in awe of the hallway's lush decorations. The first door on the right was ajar, and Shane poked his head in curiously to discover it was a study.

"Is this okay?" Mitchie nodded, brushing past Shane to enter the room.

"So, what are we talking about?" Mitchie was fairly certain she could blame the bit of alcohol for her forward mood, and she didn't really mind. She dragged one hand across the full bookshelf that lined the entire wall, plucking a thin book from its resting place.

"Well, um, how have you been?" The question was so airy, so juvenile, and Shane wanted to kick himself as soon as it fell from his mouth.

"Not too shabby," Mitchie replied, "excluding the past week, of course." The book was now sprawled open in her palm, her eyes focused on its yellowing pages in an attempt to maintain her composure.

"That's good, I guess…" Shane used the now-shut door as a crutch, leaning against it as he found his next topic of conversation. "How are your parents?" He couldn't' believe how stupid his small talk sounded. Why was it so hard to get to the pint? Maybe she was too distracting, the way her hair fell effortlessly on her bare shoulders, the way the neckline of her dress fell just low enough for a peek of cleavage-

"They're okay," Mitchie said shortly, noticing Shane's wandering eye and commanding his attention upward once more. "I haven't seen them since summer; I don't have the money to fly home for holidays."

"Wow, I'm sorry; that's not right." A pang of guilt hit Shane. Why did Mitchie have to endure such hardships while he had everything? He knew enough to see that, compared to her, he certainly wasn't deserving.

"Yeah, well, life isn't fair, right?" Mitchie shrugged, slipping the book back into its place.

"Sometimes, no. Hey, you're not old enough to be drinking that." Shane motioned to the wine glass Mitchie was still tightly clutching.

"Oh, that never stopped you," Mitchie countered.

"You remember that?" Shane laughed nervously.

"I remember everything; Connect Three's after-show parties were legendary. But tell me, is that what you brought me up here to discuss?" Mitchie set her glass firmly on the nearby desk. Clearly, she was done with the chit-chat.

"You know that's not why," Shane said softly.

"Then what is it?" Mitchie demanded. Shane collected his courage and took the steps to close the gap between the two.

"Why do you still wear that?" The question was posed as Shane reached out, grabbing Mitchie's wrist just as he had the previous day. Her eyes drifted to her thin, silver bracelet, the proper response eluding her.

"Sydney, Australia," Shane continued, "Forty thousand screaming girls, but all I could think of was you." He reminisced about the day he had purchased the gift; it seemed like it all took place in a different lifetime, a million miles away from their current situation.

"If you remember that, if that meant anything to you, then why are we here? How did all of this happen? Why did you do this to me?" All of the questions Mitchie had been dwelling on for three years suddenly flew from her mouth. Her mind was in overdrive, her thoughts a jumbled mess-_don't cry, don't cry, you can't let him see you cry_-and it felt as if Shane's fingertips were burning marks into her skin.

"You are in such an amazing place, doing so well, and I don't think you would've mad it here with me dragging you down. I did what I did for your sake, and it just about killed me." Shane's words struck a chord deep within Mitchie, but he still hadn't answered her questions.

"I just don't get your logic. I spent months crying over you, did everything I could to make sure I never had to see you again; how did you think crushing my heart would work to my benefit?"

"You were so young…" Shane gave himself a moment to think. He was echoing the sentiments he'd tried to convey to Mitchie on that fall night three years ago.

"You had this endless potential in you," he continued, "and I couldn't be the reason you wasted it. When I was that age I was signing a record deal, and I became a selfish brat. It took meeting you for me to realize what a monster I'd become, and you would never deserve reaching that point. To be so pure, so innocent, is a gift; I didn't want to corrupt that."

"It was too hard to just trust me? Didn't you think I was smart enough to make the right choices myself?" Mitchie's pressing questions appeared never-ending.

"I didn't trust myself, Mitchie! You were this beautiful little creature I never expected to find, and I didn't' want to ruin you the way I ruined the rest of my life. I could see you loved me as much as I love you, and I couldn't stand to poison you." Mitchie picked up on the way Shane spoke of his love in the present tense, and she wondered if it was all too good to be true.

"Shane, you gave me the courage to find my voice and pursue my dreams. I love you for that, and I've always worn this bracelet as a reminder of what we were. It's not like I could forget, though; God knows I tried."

"Baby…" Shane murmured, and Mitchie had one split second to make a decision. Life was presenting her with its greatest choice, and she needed to make it quick. Could she let the past be the past and accept her obvious destiny? Was love really, truly worth it?

The answer was a big yes, one that exploded inside of her like fireworks as her lips crashed into Shane's. they were suddenly kissing each other like their lives depended on it, like the last three years had never happened. Shane had his arm around her waist, pulling her with him as he backed up slowly. His heels hit the front of the plush loveseat propped up against the wall, and he let himself fall back, pulling her down on top of him.

"So, does this mean you love me, too?" Shane asked with a smirk in between kisses.

"You think I love every guy I do this with?"

"Oh, shut up and just admit it!" They had fallen right back into their old relationship, the way their stubborn personalities butted heads. Despite the way they clashed, they were still so passionate about each other. Shane moved his attention to Mitchie's bare shoulders which had been tempting him, covering them with enough kisses to send her over the edge.

"I love you, Shane," Mitchie whispered, and she had never sounded more honest in her entire life.

"I knew it!" Shane said triumphantly, "It's always parties for us, isn't it?" He ran his fingertips up Mitchie's legs to find the hem of her dress, recalling a similar experience they'd shared at his nineteenth birthday party. It had been the first time the two had ever been so close to each other, and it was the first time they'd said "I love you."

"Yeah, but I'm not afraid this time," Mitchie said before pressing her lips to Shane's once more. She was older, more experienced, and expressed no hesitation as she reached to find the zipper of his tight, black pants. Shane's breath hitched in his throat, making Mitchie pull away slightly to laugh.

"Am I making you nervous?"

"N-no…maybe a little?" Shane looked deep in Mitchie's eyes, "I've just been waiting for this for so long."

"Let's get to it, then!" Mitchie let out a little giggle, and her voice was like music to Shane's ears. He took the initiative to move his hands the rest of the way up her skirt, finding the band of lace that sat on her small hips. With haste he pulled her panties down and off, gaining a moan of approval as he pulled her into his lap.

"Why did we wait so long?" Shane managed to ask as Mitchie's hips met his again and again he couldn't' believe it had taken so long for this to happen, and he was desperate to savor every second of it. He twirled his fingers in her impossibly soft hair and pulled her close, her heavy breathing in his ear giving him the ultimate feeling of satisfaction.

"I love you too, Mitchie." Shane held Mitchie tight as the two reached their ends, giving her a moment to catch her breath before helping her to her feet.

"We must look so obvious!" Mitchie exclaimed, trying to smooth Shane's messy hair as he helped to adjust her slightly wrinkled dress.

"Who cares! I'm not ashamed; I love you, and I hope everyone realizes what just happened. Come on," Shane said with a smile, "let's go find our friends." He took Mitchie's hand carefully in his, still afraid he might break such a fragile girl. She used her free hand to grasp his arm, allowing him to lead her out of the room. She was nervous to see the reactions of the rest of the party, but she chose to ignore her fears for one reason: she was finally, truly happy for the first time in three years.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note: Wow you guys, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this last chapter up! I wanted to say thank you to everyone who stuck with me through my first Camp Rock fic, I really appreciate it. I'm really terrible at endings, so I hope this doesn't disappoint! I've got a one-shot in mind that I'm going to get up hopefully by Friday, and then I'm going to Disneyland for the weekend so it'll be a week or so before I get the first chapter of my next story up. The one-shot is going to be a stand-alone piece, but it'll also fit as an extension of this story, so you should really check it out. Please subscribe to me as an author so you can check those out, and please review this last chapter to let me know what you think of it and the story as a whole! Thank you so much!_

Chapter Ten

Music once again began to fill Mitchie's ears as she stood at the top of the staircase.

"I hate this song." Shane squeezed her hand protectively as she made idle conversation.

"Am I making you nervous now?"

"You've always made me nervous," Mitchie admitted. She clung tightly to Shane, certain she looked like a cowering child, "And now we have to go back down there…what is everyone going to say? I can't handle people staring at me, you know that."

"I know, baby, but I've got you; just don't let go of me an you'll be fine." Shane's voice was soft and careful, making her nerves calm, if only a little. He didn't mind the way Mitchie leaned on him, pressing herself slightly against him; in fact, it made him feel as if he had finally discovered his purpose in life.

"Are you sure we can't just stay up here all night?" Mitchie suggested with a hopeful smile.

"No way," Shane shook his head, "I want to show off to the whole party." He cupped her face gently with his free hand, bringing their lips together. His kiss was so soft, so careful, and Mitchie thought she could feel herself melting into him. It seemed as if she had never truly experienced love before that moment, because nothing had ever been so right.

"Are you ready?" Shane asked with concern as the two pulled apart.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Mitchie said with a sigh.

"That's my girl! Let's go make some people jealous." Shane led Mitchie down the stairs, allowing her to lean against him in order to control her nervous shakes. Their feet finally met the ground floor, and the first reactions they received were barely noticeable. A few people shot curious glances their direction, but Mitchie paid them no mind. What really bothered her was a small cluster of girls that reminded her less-than-fondly of high school, looks of disgust on their faces as they contemplated how the no-name girl managed to snag the rock star.

"Do you see those girls staring at me?" Mitchie stopped, getting on her tiptoes to speak in Shane's ear, "They're probably making fun of my dress; I wore it to prom, it's old. I can just tell they're picking me apart, like the last time we were together." Shane felt the weight of guilt on his shoulders as Mitchie finished speaking, dropping back onto her heels. It was his fault she had attended that prom alone (they were supposed to go together), it was his fault she was constantly looked down upon when they were together (it seemed the world was under the false impression that she was worth less than him, but it was just the opposite); why did such grief seem to follow him? He had to make it up to her, right all his wrongs, and he found it a good time to start. He shifted the path on which they were walking, bringing them to a stop right outside the group of catty girls.

"Wait here," Shane said. Mitchie felt her heart sink into her chest as he released her hand from his, certain she'd fall to the ground as he left her standing alone, much to the delight of her grinning critics. As quickly as it had come the feeling subsided, her lover's intentions suddenly revealing themselves.

"Ladies," Shane shouted over the music with a wave, "I wanted you four to know something." The girls looked at one another, trying to hide their excitement.

"What's that?" One of the girls managed to reply, flipping her blonde hair seductively.

"As someone older and more experienced, I just wanted to tell you that jealous is a very unbecoming trait." The smiles slid off the girls' faces as Shane turned and returned to Mitchie, placing the safety of his strong arm around her shoulders.

"Should you have done that? I mean, isn't that bad for your image?"

"Maybe, but I don't care," Shane stated, pressing his lips briefly against Mitchie's forehead, "those aren't the kind of 'fans' I want, anyway. Let's go find the guys, I bet they think we died!" If the pair was dead, Mitchie thought, then she must've been experiencing Heaven. She felt as if she was floating as they made their way across the crowded house, smiling as her three friends came into view. They were making small talk and trying to conceal their anticipation of the return of the couple. The reactions they each displayed were vastly different: Nate looked apathetic-he never doubted the pair would reunite, Jason looked thrilled-he was satisfied with the part he'd had in the matchmaking, and Travis looked completely shocked.

"We were beginning to think you guys left or something," Nate said loudly as the pair approached.

"No, we're still here, and now we're going to dance!" Shane looked at Mitchie, waiting until she gave her nod of approval to pull her close in front of him. Whether the song was fast or slow they refused to part, holding tight to each other as they swayed to the music.

"It's about time, huh?" Jason leaned over, speaking with pride in Travis' ear. Travis, tightly gripping his drink, was unable to agree. He couldn't' believe what he was seeing, and after several songs he could no longer stand it all.

"Hold this," Travis said absent-mindedly, thrusting his glass into Jason's hands before stepping over to the dancing couple.

"Mitch, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Travis tapped Mitchie on the shoulder, forcing her out of her own little world, buried deep in Shane's arms. She obviously didn't want to stray from the comfort Shane was providing her, but he gave her a nod which said she should go. He pulled his jacket off and slid it over her shoulders, watching as Travis took her by the hand and led her towards the front door.

"What's up?" Mitchie asked as they entered the cold, dark outdoors. Travis was surprised, maybe even frustrated, but how nonchalantly his friend was acting.

"What the hell happened in there?"

"What do you mean?" Mitchie neglected to give the question her full attention, preoccupied with pulling her arms through the sleeves of Shane's jacket. She inhaled deeply, overcome by the scent of him which lingered on all of her clothing.

"What's going on with you and Shane, Mitch? I'm really confused right now." Travis was in awe of the night's events; his friend had apparently reunited with her ex-boyfriend, and it seemed she wasn't even going to tell him about it.

"I love him," Mitchie said quietly after along moment, offering the only explanation that seemed to work.

"Is it really that easy? You spent the last three years hating the guy, and in twenty minutes you're able to just fall back in love with him? I want to know what's going on in your head."

"I never fell out of love with Shane! It took me a while to realize it, but I see it now. I'm happy tonight, Travis, really, truly happy; why do you seem so mad about it?" The words left Mitchie's lips with a hint of frustration. She crossed her arms in front of herself, party out of anger, and party because of the snow drifting down around her.

"I'm not mad, Mitch, I'm just worried about you. To see your heart broken again would probably kill me." Travis' eyes fell to the ground, his feet kicking around piles of slush in an attempt to escape the serious moment.

"Come here," Mitchie sighed, uncrossing her arms and wrapping them around her tall friend, "I'm so lucky that I have you to worry about me! I'm going to be just fine, I promise. Can we go back inside now? It's getting really late."

"Sure, Mitch. We need to go home soon and get some sleep, anyway; we're leaving tomorrow, remember?" Mitchie nodded as Travis pulled away. She had forgotten until then about their plans, but it all came back to her. The following day they were to pack up and travel to Travis' parents' home to spend Christmas, as was their holiday tradition. She had no clue what would happen now considering all the circumstances, but she wasn't going to spend any of her night worrying about it. The two walked back through the door they originally entered hours earlier, noticing the party was beginning to wind down throughout the house. The music had died down slightly, and the crowd had dissipated, making it easier to navigate.

"I missed you!" Shane couldn't help but exclaim as Mitchie came back into his view.

"You two are kind of sickening," Travis said with a roll of his eyes, earning a nod of agreement from Nate.

"Don't be jealous, you guys," Shane scoffed, "do you want to dance some more?" He pulled Mitchie into him again, but she shook her head against his chest.

"It's getting pretty late, Shane; maybe we should go?" Mitchie looked up, searching Shane's eyes for the answer she wanted. Her expression said she was done with the party, and he took the hint.

"Sure, baby, I'll walk you home. See you guys later?" Shane looked to each of his band mates. He noticed the way Travis stared at him suspiciously, and he tried his best to shake it off.

"Goodnight, boys." Mitchie stepped away from Shane for a moment to say her goodbyes. She gave Nate a friendly handshake, and then turned her attention to Jason. She cracked a smile and threw her arms around his neck, greeted by the feeling of his hands on her waist.

"Are you happy?" Jason whispered, his mouth right beside Mitchie's ear.

"Very much so."

"Then so am I. take care of Shane, alright? He's nothing without you." Jason's words drew a laugh out of Mitchie as the two pulled apart. The only person left was Travis, who was still too busy trying to be upset.

"Aren't you going to say 'goodnight?'" Mitchie pleaded, adjusting her friend's crooked tie. He tried to keep his stoic face, but he was all too aware that her begging eyes were a pair he couldn't resist.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mitch," Travis sighed, accepting his defeat. It was enough for Mitchie, who promptly released his tie and gave the three boys one last wave before leading Shane out of the house.

"So, did you at least have some fun tonight? I know you didn't want to come," Shane said, watching the snow land softly in Mitchie's hair as she buttoned up her borrowed jacket.

"Are you joking? It was the best night I've had in a long time!" Mitchie took Shane's hand in hers, swinging their arms with joy as they strolled down the dimly-lit street.

"I'm glad to hear it," Shane said with a smile, "This feels like a dream, you know? I love you so much, and I never thought I'd be with you, but here I am, walking you home." He shook his head, unsure the disbelief would ever fade.

"No, you're not," Mitchie disagreed, causing Shane to look at her with confusion, "I'm going home with you, if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay," Shane spoke, trying to hide his excitement. He changed their path, pulling her in the direction of his hotel.

Several minutes later the two strode through the deserted building, walking carefully as if they were afraid to break its silence. It took until they reached Shane's familiar hallway for the circumstances to hit Mitchie, the discomfort evident on her face.

"Are you okay? Is this too weird?" Shane was now in protective mode. Mitchie's discomfort was the most distressing thing he could imagine; he never wanted to see her upset.

"No…I don't know, I just keep thinking about yesterday." Mitchie couldn't process how much life had changed in one single day. She wanted to forget it all, wipe the slate clean and start new, but she wasn't sure that was possible.

"Just don't think about it, please? What's done is done; we can make new memories now," Shane offered. He looked lovingly at Mitchie and she knew he was right. She had learned along time ago that Shane only spoke to her when he really meant it, and she couldn't deny how much he cared about her. She allowed him to guide her inside, deciding to give herself one happy night before she had to deal with the conflicting reality tomorrow would bring.

The following morning Mitchie awoke bright and early, nearly forgetting where she was until her eyes opened to the sight of Shane staring back at her.

"Oh, God, how long have you been watching me?" Mitchie attempted to pull the covers over her face, horrified by the thought of her disheveled morning appearance.

"Hey, stop it." Shane laughed as he yanked the blanket back down, "I just woke up, too. But you look beautiful, Mitchie; I could really get used to this." Guilt began to fill Mitchie as she listened to him talk, a concerned sigh escaping her lips.

"What did I say? Am I moving too fast? Tell me, please; I don't want to screw things up again." Shane looked as if he actually might cry, afraid he'd said something to anger Mitchie.

"No, Shane, you didn't say anything wrong," Mitchie assured, leaning in to give him a quick kiss, "I'm just worrying about us right now." She wasn't certain it wasn't too soon to even use the term 'us,' but it didn't seem to faze Shane at all.

"What could you possibly be worrying about, baby?" The world seemed as perfect as it could be to Shane, and he couldn't imagine what was wrong.

"There's something I didn't tell you…" Mitchie trailed off.

"Oh, come on, what could it be? Another boyfriend? A husband? A kid?" Shane joked, "Whatever it is, you shouldn't be afraid to tell me. I love you."

"I love you too, and maybe that's the problem. I mean, that's not a problem," Mitchie stumbled over her words, "but where is this going to go? I didn't tell you that I'm leaving tomorrow-I'm going to Travis' for Christmas. What's going to happen after that, when you go back to work? The long-distance thing didn't' work for us last time." A weight was lifted off of her shoulders as she spilled her last secret, but she couldn't avoid a feeling of regret. Shane was so optimistic about their relationship; why did she have to put a damper on everything?

"Is that it, baby?" Shane asked, pulling Mitchie into his arms. "This time we can make it through anything, I promise. We're older, and I make my own decisions about work now. Do you trust me?"

"Completely," Mitchie said with no hesitation.

"So let's just worry about this week to start with, alright? I'm not concerned, baby." Shane pulled Mitchie into him tightly and it all felt so right, but she knew she couldn't stay.

"I have to go back," Mitchie sighed, "We're going to be gone for two weeks." The thought wasn't too appealing at the current moment; she loved Travis, but she wished she could be spending that time differently. She wanted to spend her break with Shane, but above all to be home with her parents was her ultimate Christmas dream.

"Well, go do what you have to do," Shane replied, causing Mitchie to give him a little huff. She had hoped he'd offer to help, or at least try and coax her into staying in bed a bit longer.

"Just go pack for an hour or so and then I'll come say 'bye,' okay?" Shane elaborated, noticing the way Mitchie begrudgingly dragged herself out of bed.

"You don't want to come help me?"

"I've got some work to do, but I swear it won't take long," Shane promised as he followed suit by rising to his feet. Mitchie was reluctant to go along with the plan-Why was he so willing to just let her go? Hadn't he promised work wouldn't get in their way?-but things were going far too well for her to make any objections.

An hour and a half later Mitchie sat alone in her empty dorm room. A good chunk of her belongings were packed away, two suitcases stacked by her side.

"Mitchie?" Shane's voice rattled Mitchie from her thoughts, causing her to quickly turn towards the door.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Shane said as he walked inside and sad down beside Mitchie on the floor, "The girl at the front desk was leaving, but she told me which room is yours." Mitchie shook her head as she looked at him.

"It's okay. Did you get all of your work done?"

"Yeah, I got everything taken care of," Shane nodded. "Baby, I think you forgot something." He pointed to the shoebox sitting just behind Mitchie. She turned around to see what he was talking about, shaking her head as she turned back to face him.

"I don't know what to do with that anymore; tell me what you think." Mitchie shrugged, urging Shane to investigate further. He curiously reached back and lifted the box with surprise-it was heavier than he'd expected-and brought it to a rest in his lap. He pulled back the lid to reveal hundreds of pictures, letters, and trinkets-just about every remnant from their relationship so long ago.

"You kept all of this?" Shane asked, sifting through all the pieces which seemed to be from a different life. The faces staring back at him from each photograph seemed so young, so foreign; he couldn't believe he'd forgotten about it all.

"Of course I kept it," Mitchie said quietly, "I always held on to you, at least partly. But now what do I do with it all? I've got you here beside me; I don't need a box."

"Hm…how long did you pack for?" Shane asked.

"Two weeks, Shane; I'm going to be gone for two weeks." Mitchie was annoyed; she'd already told Shane the details of her break, and she didn't know why he was changing the subject so abruptly. She started at him, waiting for an explanation, but his eyes were still fixed silently on the box.

"Travis is going to be here soon to pick me up," Mitchie stated, snapping her fingers in front of Shane's face, "Earth to Shane, do you want to say 'goodbye?'"

"No," Shane said with a shake of his head, "I don't need to; Travis isn't picking you up today."

"What are you talking about now? I'm all packed." Mitchie looked at her bags with confusion.

"You're leaving, but you aren't going home with Travis," Shane explained, "I'm giving you your Christmas present a little early: I'm flying you home to see your parents." Mitchie's jaw dropped in disbelief; was this really happening?

"Are you serious? Don't mess with me like this, Shane."

"I'm completely serious, baby. I know how much your parents mean to you, so I'm making sure you get to spend your holiday the way you want. Come on, we've got a plane to catch!" Shane rose to his feet and offered a hand to Mitchie. She looked him in the eyes, pleased to find the same old Shane she'd fallen in love with. People would always tell her, all those years ago, that he'd do anything if it meant making her happy, and she finally found the truth in that statement. She watched as he picked up her luggage and filed out of the room, her heart filling with joy in the moment. She let all the worry drain from her, no longer letting uncertainty take control. She knew their love wasn't an easy one, but she'd learned the hard way that they needed each other. One was nothing without the other, and she knew, from that point on, they would never be apart.


End file.
